Abstract
In the past, they were recognized as the most destructive force in nature. Now, following a cascade of astonishing discoveries, supermassive black holes have undergone a dramatic shift in paradigm–these objects may have been critical to the formation of structure in the early universe, spawning bursts of star formation and planets. As many as 300 million of them may now be lurking through the vast expanses of the observable cosmos. The most accessible among them appears to be lurking at the center of our own Galaxy. In this review, we will examine the evidence that has brought us to this point, and we will see why the astrophysical community is now looking with great anticipation to the imminent breakthroughs that will permit us to see the shadow of a black hole within this decade.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Tenth Marcel Grossmann Meeting |
| Subtitle of host publication | On Recent Developments in Theoretical and Experimental General Relativity, Gravitation and Relativistic Field Theories |
| Publisher | World Scientific Publishing Co. |
| Pages | 618-646 |
| Number of pages | 29 |
| Volume | 1 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9789812704030 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9789812566676 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2006 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Physics and Astronomy