Astronomers have made a significant breakthrough in May 2025, developing a new technique to improve the observation of faint black holes. This innovative method, known as Frequency Phase Transfer (FPT), effectively mitigates atmospheric distortions, which typically impede high-resolution imaging.
The FPT technique was successfully tested using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) array, incorporating telescopes located in Spain and Hawaii. The EHT utilizes Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) to generate detailed images of cosmic phenomena. Atmospheric turbulence has historically limited the observation capabilities of the EHT.
FPT addresses this challenge by observing at a lower frequency to measure atmospheric disturbances and subsequently correcting data at a higher frequency. This approach allows for extended observation periods and clearer images, thereby facilitating the detection of fainter black holes and finer details. This advancement is a crucial step toward the next-generation EHT (ngEHT), which aims to observe black holes at multiple frequencies.