Last year, we finally photographed a black hole. Now what?

With access to a distant enough telescope, the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration could discern multiple reflections of light streaming from around a black hole. By sorting through the precise pattern in these jumbled rays, astronomers could directly measure the basic properties of black holes and stress test Einstein’s theory of gravity like never before. Basically, they hope black holes will become more like stars and planets: not just objects to ponder, but to directly observe.