Einstein's frame-dragging confirmed by black hole observation
Scientists just caught a supermassive black hole doing something Einstein predicted over 100 years ago—actually dragging spacetime around as it spins.
This real-life cosmic twist, spotted during a dramatic star-shredding event and published, provides the most compelling evidence yet for one of general relativity's wildest ideas.
How did they spot it?
Researchers teamed up X-ray eyes from NASA's Swift Observatory with radio signals from the Very Large Array.
By studying the light and energy coming from the chaos, they found clear signs that the swirling disk and jets near the black hole were being pulled along by its spin—a direct effect of frame-dragging.
Why does this matter?
Frame-dragging isn't just a cool space trick—it helps explain how black holes gobble up matter, shoot out powerful jets, and even shape their galaxies.
Catching it in action means we're getting closer to understanding how some of the universe's most extreme stuff really works.