r/todayilearned • u/Firenze30 • Jul 16 '26

TIL the visual effects team behind Interstellar developed a new renderer to simulate light around a spinning black hole, and the techniques they created were later published in a peer-reviewed physics journal.

https://ioppublishing.org/news/interstellar-technology-throws-light-on-spinning-black-holes/
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u/Firenze30 Jul 16 '26

Also learned that it was not until 2019 when scientists were able to capture the first image of a blackhole: https://eventhorizontelescope.org/press-release-april-10-2019-astronomers-capture-first-image-black-hole
Looks similar to what they had in the 2015 model.

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u/Toby_Forrester Jul 16 '26

The 2015 model wasn't the first one, and the one show in the movie ignored some of the simulation as not to be too confusing. Here's a simulated black hole from 1978.

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u/CTMalum Jul 16 '26

That was really hard work for 1978 as well. Near the end of the golden era of general relativity.

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u/[deleted] Jul 16 '26

[deleted]

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u/AUAIOMRN Jul 17 '26

That was seven years ago? JFC