Gravitational Lensing Images

[Siggy_G]

I'm kind of "ok" about them making computer generated illustrations for their theories - as long as it is underlined as such. But I still find it strange that they go into such detail into what they observe within this generated/manipulated image. It is still not observational data from telescopes, but mathematical distortions of an image, meant to be used artistically.

From the site: "Most black holes that astronomers have identified so far have been detected because they are in the process of consuming matter, which emits X-rays due to frictional effects at it spirals into the hole."

The only thing in that sentence which is factional is that something emits X-rays. The reason for the emission of X-rays is what needs some further work...