Astronomy: Validation of ring-like black hole image (Nature)

The iconic reconstructed image of black hole M87* with a distinctive ring-like shape has been independently validated according to research published in Nature. The original image was made from averaging the results of multiple image processing pipelines, but since then some studies have raised uncertainties about the ring-like structure. The latest reconstruction uses a newly developed independent imaging algorithm to produce a new image that closely matches the original image.  

The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration (EHTC) published the first image of a black hole, M87*, in 2019, which displayed a ring-like morphology with a visible black hole shadow. The image was reconstructed by collating all the data obtained from EHTC telescopes positioned around Earth. However, due to the telescopes being so geographically far apart, instrument and environment errors can significantly influence the accuracy of the resulting image. Other analyses of the data, using well-established approaches, have suggested alternative reconstructions without the ring shape.  

Samuel Lai and colleagues apply an imaging algorithm to the M87* black hole dataset to validate the previous image reconstruction. The algorithm combines measurements from individual telescopes in closed triplets rather than station pairs, which can account for calibration errors, and produces a set of reconstructed images that meet these criteria. The new image reproduces the ring-like morphology seen in the original, independently validating this interpretation of the data and shape. 

• Article
• Open access
• Published: 11 November 2026

Lai, S., Thyagarajan, N., Wong, O.I. et al. Independent interferometric observable confirms black hole shadow in M87*. Nature 659, 317–323 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-11241-9

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