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Magnetic fields mapped around black hole

World-spanning telescope gives new view of supermassive black hole.

A new view of the massive object at the centre of the Messier 87 (M87) galaxy: in polarised light. This is the first time astronomers have been able to measure polarisation, a signature of magnetic fields, this close to the edge of a black hole.  This image shows the polarised view of the black hole in M87. The lines mark the orientation of polarisation, which is related to the magnetic field around the shadow of the black hole. Credit: EHT Collaboration