# Stanford astrophysicists detect light echoes behind a black hole

- Published: 2026-11-07 00:12 UTC
- Section: Sky & Space › Astronomy
- Tags: black hole light echo, Dan Wilkins Stanford, I Zwicky 1 galaxy, XMM-Newton NuSTAR, accretion disk X-ray, gravitational lensing photon
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-211d424ba102fc099c48a143_stanford_astrophysicists_detect/

**Telescopes recorded X-ray pulses bending around the event horizon of a supermassive black hole, confirming General Relativity predictions.**

![Stanford astrophysicists detect light echoes behind a black hole](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/abae60478bea7b18.webp)
*Scienze Notizie*

Astrophysicists led by Dan Wilkins from Stanford University recorded light echoes originating from the far side of a supermassive black hole located at the center of the galaxy I Zwicky 1, approximately 800 million light-years from Earth, according to Scienze Notizie. The observations were conducted using the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton and NASA's NuSTAR space telescopes while monitoring X-ray emissions from the accretion disk [1].

During the monitoring of high-energy radiation, the detectors captured a sequence of short X-ray flashes followed by fainter secondary pulses. These delayed signals exhibited a specific spectral shift, which data analysis identified as the initial X-ray flashes reflected off the rear portion of the accretion disk [1].

## Gravitational bending of photons

The extreme gravitational field surrounding the event horizon bent the trajectory of the photons, curving them around the central mass before directing them toward space-based detectors [1]. This effect matches the predictions of Albert Einstein's General Relativity theory regarding the curvature of spacetime around high-density objects, observed directly in high-energy X-ray frequencies [1].

## Mapping accretion structures

The phenomenon functions as a gravitational mirror, demonstrating that the region adjacent to the event horizon leaves visual traces from areas hidden from direct line of sight [1]. Researchers note that recording these light echoes enables detailed mapping of the plasma corona and the internal geometry of accretion disks around supermassive black holes [1].

## Sources

1. [Scienze Notizie](https://www.scienzenotizie.it/2026/11/06/gli-scienziati-scoprono-unanomalia-che-potrebbe-letteralmente-distruggere-un-buco-nero-00133423)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-211d424ba102fc099c48a143_stanford_astrophysicists_detect/