Katie Bouman, a 29-year-old American scientist has earned accolades all over the world for leading the creation of an algorithm that has made possible the first-ever image of a black hole.
“I’ve seen this image for a while but being able to share these with you all today has been spectacular,” Bouman said in a video posted by Nature, her excitement palpable.
Bouman called the photograph “the beginning” and “another window” into what black holes can tell us about. In the video, she also explained why the ring of light surrounding the black hole is brighter at the bottom than at other places.
Talking about her future plans, Bouman said that the next step will be determining where the next telescope should be placed on earth and in space, allowing the scientists to sharpen this image even further. Bouman is of the view that simultaneous with studying the precise locations for the telescope, algorithms should be developed for best results. “I’m really excited for the future of this (study),” she said.
Bouman was a PhD student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology when she started working on the algorithm three years ago.
On her Facebook page, Bouman shared the credit for the success with a team of scientists from across the world that worked on the project.
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