Featured Speaker:  Dr. Joseph Neilsen, Villanova University

"The Ins and Outs of Black Holes" 

Nothing that wanders too close to a black hole, not even light, can escape its incredible gravitational pull. But what does this really mean? Just how black are they? What is it like near a black hole? Remarkably, it turns out that the same gravitational field that hides black holes from view also helps us find them: feeding (“accreting”) black holes are among the most powerful sources of energy in the universe. I will review some of the many things we have learned about black holes, focusing on exotic properties and highlighting how they appear in our data (with a brief cameo by atomic physics). I will also introduce the Event Horizon Telescope, a worldwide network of radio telescopes that is our first real chance to create an image of a black hole itself. I’ll discuss what the EHT might show us, and some of the best targets for studying the point of no return.