Free activities and events in New York City

Lecture “The Black Hole Explorer: Tracing an Edge of the Visible Universe”

Published: March 14, 2026; Aithor: Julia Sonrisa

Registration for this lecture will close at 2 p.m. the day of the event. Review the complete list of entrance requirements below.

This lecture is part of the Black Holes Presidential Lecture Series in Physics.

Black holes are the most extreme objects in the Universe. They’re regions where gravity is so strong that space and time are warped in dramatic and still mysterious ways. In a 2019 breakthrough, the Event Horizon Telescope captured the first images of a black hole, opening a new window on these once-invisible giants. Despite this spectacular achievement, black hole images taken from the ground remain blurry, revealing only a dark shadow encircled by a glowing, fuzzy donut of light.

In this Presidential Lecture, Alex Lupsasca will introduce the Black Hole Explorer (BHEX), a bold plan to launch a radio telescope into Earth orbit that will take some of the sharpest images in the history of astronomy. By creating high-resolution movies of black holes, BHEX will resolve the ‘photon ring’ traced by light that orbited the black hole and skirted its event horizon — an edge of our visible universe — before escaping to our telescopes. BHEX observations will enable precise tests of Albert Einstein’s theory in the strongest gravitational fields, deliver accurate measurements of the space-time geometry, mass, and spin of black holes, and illuminate how these cosmic engines power their relativistic jets (cosmic beams that cast the brightest lights in the observable universe).

Lupsasca is a theorist specializing in black holes, relativistic astrophysics, and classical and quantum gravity. Currently a resident scientist at OpenAI, he is the project scientist for the Black Hole Explorer and has been an assistant professor of physics and mathematics at Vanderbilt since 2022. He is a recipient of the Breakthrough Foundation’s 2024 New Horizons in Physics Prize and was awarded the 2024 Early Career Scientist Prize from the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation for his work on black hole imaging. Last year, Science News Magazine listed him as one of 10 “Scientists to Watch” for outstanding contributions to their fields, and the Society for Science awarded him the Jon C. Graff, Ph.D. Prize for Excellence in Science Communication.

Registration Process Requirements

• You must be 18+ to attend this event
• Registration will close at 2:00 p.m. the day of the event
• Please only register yourself and use your complete first and last name as it appears on your photo ID when filling in the form.
• Tickets under the same name do not count as registrations for others, and each ticket must be registered under an individual attendee’s name. If you have a guest you would like to bring with you to this event, please send them the link to register so they can sign up on their own.
• Please note that the Simons Foundation will never ask for credit card information or require payment for registration to our free public events.

Building Entry Protocol

• Provide a valid photo ID
• Present your digital or printed Eventbrite ticket confirmation; make sure it is for the correct event and that the name on it matches your ID.
• Limited seating is available for this in-person event and is on a first-come, first-served basis.
• All attendees must be pre-registered. Walk-in entry will be denied.

Please note that by entering the Simons Foundation, you are attesting that you are not experiencing COVID symptoms and are not knowingly positive for COVID.

Schedule

Doors open: 5:30 p.m. (No entrance before 5:30 p.m.)

Lecture: 6:00–7:00 p.m. (Admittance closes at 6:20 p.m.)

The Gerald D. Fischbach Auditorium complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and offers accessible seating to visitors with special access needs.

Presidential Lectures are free public colloquia at the Simons Foundation centered on four main themes: Biology, Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science, and Neuroscience and Autism Science. These curated, high-level scientific talks feature leading scientists and mathematicians and are intended to foster discourse and drive discovery among the broader NYC-area research community. We invite anyone interested in the topic to join us for this weekly lecture series.

Time: 6:00 pm EST

Free!

Registration

Detailed information and discussion of the event.