These images show that the polarization of plasma near M87* flipped direction between 2017 and 2021, while the size of the black hole's shadow remained consistent, supporting Einstein's general relativity but indicating complex magnetic activity.

These findings deepen our understanding of the complex magnetic and energetic processes near supermassive black holes, with significant implications for astrophysics and black hole physics.

Researchers from the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard & Smithsonian confirmed through synthetic data tests that the observed polarization shifts are genuine and not artifacts of data analysis.

Advancements in imaging, including new telescopes like Kitt Peak and NOEMA, have improved the resolution and sensitivity of EHT observations, enabling more detailed studies of black hole physics.

The reversal in polarization suggests turbulence and evolving magnetic structures in the plasma, which could influence how the black hole accretes matter and interacts with its environment.

The latest data also detected signatures of extended jet emission near the jet base connected to the ring around M87*, offering new insights into matter and energy behavior in extreme gravitational environments.

Images captured the base of a near-light-speed jet emanating from the black hole, shedding light on how supermassive black holes influence their host galaxies through energetic jets.

Ongoing upgrades to the EHT network promise even clearer images in the future, which will enhance our understanding of black hole dynamics, plasma behavior, and their role in cosmic evolution.

Recent images from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) have revealed a highly dynamic environment around the supermassive black hole M87*, with notable changes in magnetic field polarization patterns over four years.

Initial observations in 2017 showed magnetic fields spiraling in one direction, but by 2018 they stabilized, and by 2021, they reversed, indicating continuous evolution of the black hole’s environment.