Black Hole Named ‘Powehi’ By Hawaii University Professor

The word means “embellished dark source of unending creation.”

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) -- a planet-scale array of eight ground-based radio telescopes forged through international collaboration captured this image. 

(Photo Courtesy: NSF)

A language professor has given a Hawaiian name Powehi to the black hole depicted in an image produced in a landmark experiment.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported on Thursday, 11 April, that University of Hawaii-Hilo Hawaiian Professor Larry Kimura named the cosmic object.

The word means “the adorned fathomless dark creation” or “embellished dark source of unending creation” comes from the Kumulipo, an 18th Century Hawaiian creation chant.

The world's first image of a black hole revealed on Wednesday, 10 April, was created using data from eight radio telescopes around the world.

Astronomers say giving it a Hawaiian name was justified because the project included two telescopes in Hawaii.

Jessica Dempsey, a co-discoverer of the black hole, says the word is an excellent match for the scientific description she provided to Kimura.

(In arrangement with PTI)