Light passing a black hole gets twisted, like water around a drain. By measuring the strength of this twist, astronomers have for the first time gauged the electric charge of the giant hole at the heart of galaxy M87 — almost zero. But the method is universal: in the future it could even hunt for elusive new fields.
🎯 M87* became famous in 2019 when astronomers captured its first image — that iconic orange ring. Its shadow is three times wider than Pluto’s orbit.
🎬 In science fiction, charged black holes are rare — writers and filmmakers are much more interested in their spin (as in ‘Interstellar’) or the possibility of travel through wormholes.