Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Receives New Grant to Launch Black Hole Research to Space

Cambridge, MA— The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has awarded the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) $2.8 million to advance laser downlink for the Black Hole Explorer (BHEX) project. When launched, BHEX will increase the capabilities of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) by launching it into space.

The Moore Foundation grant will enable SAO— a part of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) to commence technical work vital to BHEX's success both on ground and in space. BHEX will combine ground-based radio antennas with a space-based telescope to produce the most detailed images of supermassive black holes (SMBH) in history.

"BHEX is a highly ambitious mission that will open an unprecedented view of supermassive black holes," Dr. Dušan Pejaković, Program Director at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. "I am delighted that the Moore Foundation can accelerate this visionary project by helping the team overcome early-stage technical barriers."

BHEX's aim is to reveal and directly image photon rings— light that has orbited a black hole many times before escaping. By studying the size and shape of photon rings, scientists can learn about the properties of black holes. But that type of imaging is beyond the capabilities of current telescopes.

"BHEX will take black hole research to the next level by combining ground-based and space-based instruments, and increasing our resolution to unprecedented levels," said Dr. Michael D. Johnson, Principal Investigator for BHEX at the CfA. "This will not only allow us to take the sharpest images of black holes we've already studied with the EHT, like Sgr A*, the SMBH at the heart of the Milky Way Galaxy, but also will allow us to study dozens of other black holes, and see for ourselves exactly how they work."

To date, the Moore Foundation has provided more than $25 million in support for black hole research at the CfA, and is a major supporter of the Black Hole Initiative (BHI), the EHT, and the Next Generation Event Horizon Telescope (ngEHT). With the new grant, BHEX joins the list of CfA-led black hole projects to be funded by the Moore Foundation.

"CfA is leading the way in next-generation black hole research," said Dr. Lisa Kewley, Director of the CfA. "The support we've received, and continue to receive, from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is vital to bringing our technology in line with our scientific expertise, and will allow us to continue uncovering new frontiers in astronomy."

CfA's Black Hole Explorer project is part of the Smithsonian Campaign for Our Shared Future, which will secure funds for all Smithsonian museums, education and research centers and the National Zoo in support of a single, bold vision: to build a better future for all.

About the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian

The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian is a collaboration between Harvard and the Smithsonian designed to ask—and ultimately answer—humanity's greatest unresolved questions about the nature of the universe. The Center for Astrophysics is headquartered in Cambridge, MA, with research facilities across the U.S. and around the world.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation advances scientific discovery, environmental conservation, and the special character of the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit moore.org and follow @MooreFound.

Media Contact:

Amy C. Oliver
Public Affairs Officer, Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory
Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
amy.oliver@cfa.harvard.edu

Trity Pourbahrami
Communications Officer, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
trityp@moore.org