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SYFY WIRE Black Hole

New Smithsonian documentary goes behind the scenes of that historic Black Hole image

By Josh Weiss
Black Hole

It's time to get learned!

Yesterday, humanity got a historic, first-ever look at the event horizon surrounding a black hole in outer space. While some folks are getting, um, hot and bothered from that photo (no, that's not a joke, although we wish it were), others may be interested in how science was able to achieve such a massive feat in the first place.

On that front, the Smithsonian has you covered with a brand-new documentary, Black Hole Hunters, which follows astronomer Dr. Shep Doeleman and his team as they set out to challenge the theories of Albert Einstein himself. After 10 years, millions of dollars sunk into research installations, and a coalition of more than 200 scientists from around the world, they did just that.

Check out the trailer and a clip from the documentary below:

Since 2006, Doleman (of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory) has led the charge of developing the Event Horizon Telescope. Utilizing radio and telescope facilities all over the planet, the project resulted in a virtual telescope spanning the diameter of our Earth.

"[The documentary] will bring viewers into the laboratories, behind the computer screens, and beside the telescopes of what may prove to be one of the great astrophysical achievements in the history of mankind," reads the official release.

Black Hole Hunters makes its debut on the Smithsonian Channel on April 12 at 9 p.m. EST.