UArizona astronomers part of team that will announce groundbreaking discovery at the center of our galaxy

April 29, 2022

UArizona astronomers part of team that will announce groundbreaking discovery at the center of our galaxy

What: The National Science Foundation will host a press conference to announce a groundbreaking Milky Way galaxy discovery from the Event Horizon Telescope. Speakers include University of Arizona astronomer Feryal Özel.
When: Thursday, May 12, at 6 a.m. Arizona time
Where: The National Press Club, 529 14th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. The event will be livestreamed at https://nsf.gov/blackholes.
RSVP: Credentialed press can register to attend the event in person by emailing eht@nsf.gov. To attend, media must register by 6 p.m. (EDT) on Monday, May 9. Please provide the name and title of the individual requesting attendance and the name of the outlet. Journalists will receive a confirmation email from NSF no later than Wednesday, May 11, if their registration is accepted. Details about submitting questions virtually will also be sent to journalists.

TUCSON, Ariz. – Feryal Özel, a professor of astronomy and physics at the University of Arizona and a founding member of the international Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, will join a panel of EHT researchers in describing and answering questions about a new scientific discovery at the center of the Milky Way.

National Science Foundation Chief Operating Officer Karen Marrongelle will deliver opening remarks. The other panelists are:

Michael Johnson, astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard and Smithsonian
Katie L. Bouman, assistant professor of computing and mathematical sciences, and electrical engineering and astronomy at Caltech
Vincent Fish, research scientist at MIT Haystack Observatory

Immediately following the press conference, panelists and other experts from the EHT collaboration will be available for interviews at the National Press Club.

The NSF and the University of Arizona will issue a press release the morning of the press conference with additional information about the discovery.

In addition to the press briefing in the U.S., press conferences will be held simultaneously in Garchingbei München, Germany; Shanghai; Mexico City; Santiago, Chile; Tokyo; and Taipei, Taiwan.

For further information about EHT, please visit the Event Horizon Telescope webpage.

Please note, the information in this media advisory is strictly for media planning purposes and is embargoed until May 12.