SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL(TM) TAKES VIEWERS ON A QUEST TO CAPTURE THE FIRST IMAGE EVER OF A BLACK HOLE IN

"BLACK HOLE HUNTERS"

NEW DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES FRIDAY, APRIL 12 AT 9PM ET/PT

NEW YORK - April 1, 2019 - Smithsonian Channel is putting viewers in the passenger seat of the journey towards a cutting-edge outer space discovery. On the heels of a groundbreaking scientific announcement to be made on April 10, the network will air a new one-hour documentary following a team of international scientists as they attempt to document the first-ever image of a black hole. BLACK HOLE HUNTERS premieres Friday, April 12 at 9 PM ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

Dr. Sheperd Doeleman of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory has led the Event Horizon Telescope project team, a collective of the top scientific minds from around the world, since 2006. The project combines radio observatories and telescope facilities from around the world to make up a virtual telescope with a diameter spanning the entire planet. This mega-telescope's ultimate mission: to capture the first image ever of a black hole. Although the concept of black holes has been long assumed to be fact, the Event Horizon Telescope's success would provide the first clear visual evidence of their existence. BLACK HOLE HUNTERS will bring viewers into the laboratories, behind the computer screens and beside the telescopes of what may prove to be one of the great astrophysical achievements in the history of mankind.

To watch the April 10 scientific announcement, please go to https://www.youtube.com/c/VideosatNSF/live at 9 AM ET.

BLACK HOLE HUNTERS is produced by Windfall Films Ltd. (part of the Argonon Group) for Smithsonian Networks in association with the BBC, NHK, Canal+ and N24. Carlo Massarella and Dan Kendall are executive producers, and Henry Fraser is producer and director for Windfall Films Ltd. Tim Evans and David Royle serve as executive producers for Smithsonian Channel. Key funding for the Event Horizon Telescope was provided by the US National Science Foundation (NSF), EU's European Research Council (ERC) and funding agencies in East Asia.

Smithsonian Channel(TM), owned by Smithsonian Networks(TM), a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution, is where curiosity lives, inspiration strikes and wonders never cease. This is the place for awe-inspiring stories, powerful documentaries and amazing factual entertainment, available in HD and 4K Ultra HD across multiple platforms. Smithsonian Channel, winner of Emmy(R) and Peabody awards for its programming, combines the storytelling prowess of SHOWTIME(R) with the unmatched resources and rich traditions of the Smithsonian, to create programming that shines new light on popular genres such as air and space, travel, history, science, nature and pop culture. Among the network's offerings are series including Aerial America, America in Color, The Lost Tapes, Mighty Ships, Million Dollar American Princesses, The Pacific War in Color and Air Disasters, as well as critically-acclaimed specials that include The Coronation, The Mountain Lion and Me, Earth from Outer Space and Titanoboa: Monster Snake. Smithsonian Networks also operates Smithsonian Channel Plus(TM), a subscription video streaming service delivering over a thousand hours of the Channel's stunning and diverse library of documentaries and series in HD and 4K Ultra HD. Smithsonian Channel is also available internationally in Canada, Singapore, Latin America and the UK. To learn more, go to www.smithsonianchannel.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.