I was asked to compose and perform a song summarizing our experiences trying to make images of the hot plasma surround the black hole (called Sag A*, short for Sagittarius A*) at the center of our Galaxy. The workshop was unique because it occurred during the COVID-19 self-isolation period, so we all worked from home and met via Zoom.

Separated in isolated homes, scattered across the worlds time zones Bent over a computer on our desk, we concentrate on the daunting task To make images from noisy uv data, we need the results now, not later To present what we produce in our room to our colleagues meeting via Zoom Chorus: Sag A*, Sag A*, please reveal just what you are We're exhausted trying to figure out, but don't want to leave any doubt About exactly what each image shows; are we seeing the distant glow Of plasma dancing around the shadow as it falls toward the central black hole? Bridge: Yes, we're dancing around the shadow of our own ignorance Can the data be trusted, or are they insufficient evidence? When the brightness keeps changing and patterns keep rearranging Is it the dynamics of the emission or a bad self-calibration decision That creates a ring with bright blobs that appear to dance? [Chorus] [2 times] Ending: toward the central black hole