es2522 — Organisation Release
Supermassive Black Holes
What we know, what we don't know yet, and what we'll never know
11 June 2025
In this Kosmisches Kino, Catarina Aydar from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) takes us on a journey to supermassive black holes. This English-language event will take place on Thursday 10 July 2025 at 19:00 in the ESO Supernova. Tickets cost 6.50 Euro each and can be booked online.
Black holes are mathematical objects. They appear in the formulas of general relativity as zeros and infinities, illustrating one thing above all: mathematics goes haywire there. Albert Einstein thought it must be a mistake and that black holes "do not exist in physical reality." But black holes are more than bizarre mathematical solutions; they are real and responsible for some of the most energetic events in the Universe.
Astronomers have already observed millions of black holes. Indirectly, because black holes can only be located by their gravitational effect on stellar orbits or gas in their vicinity. One of the most surprising findings is that black holes are essential for understanding the evolution of the Universe.
But what are black holes? How do they form? How big can they get? How do they live? Can they also die? Where is the next supermassive black hole? Will we fall into it at some point? What happens inside a black hole? – And: do scientists know all the answers to these questions? These and other questions are the topic of the Kosmisches Kino with Catarina Aydar.
The event takes place on Thursday 10 July at 19:00 in the planetarium of the ESO Supernova and will be held in English. Tickets can be booked online. Since this is a live talk, there will be no translation available. The ESO Supernova will remain open until the start of the event for visitors, who can explore the exhibition at any time or watch a planetarium show beforehand.
More information
What is Kosmisches Kino?
Kosmisches Kino (Cosmic Cinema) takes visitors into the breathtaking depths of space. Researchers from the ORIGINS Cluster of Excellence will accompany you on your journey through the cosmos with selected excerpts from planetarium films and an associated lecture.
Sit back and marvel. Want to know more? Just ask! Kosmisches Kino events take place under the dome of the planetarium. They offer all visitors, no prior knowledge required, an atmospheric insight into the world of research and provide you with new perspectives. At the end of the event, the researchers answer questions from the audience.
The lecture series Kosmisches Kino is a collaboration between ESO and the ORIGINS Cluster of Excellence and presents current research topics. The ORIGINS Excellence Cluster combines astrophysics, particle physics and biophysics to investigate the formation of the universe and the origin of life. The lectures address exciting questions that current research is investigating: Is there a common thread connecting the Big Bang with the origin of life? How do you measure radiation from space and its effect on humans? Where and how do planets and stars form? What is Dark Matter? What are the building blocks of life on Earth and do they exist elsewhere in space? These and many other questions will be addressed over the course of the event series.
Admission to the approximately one-hour-long evening event with planetarium visualisations, a live lecture and open discussion costs 6.50 Euros per person. Events are aimed at people aged 12 years and over.
Links
- Book your tickets for Supermassive Black Holes
- ESO Supernova planetarium programme
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Contacts
ESO Supernova Planetarium & Besucherzentrum
Garching bei München, DE
Tel: 08932006900
Email: supernova@eso.org
About the Release
| Release No.: | es2522 |
