Measuring the black hole parameters in the galactic center with RADIOASTRON

Recently, Holz and Wheeler (2002) [ApJ 578, 330] considered a very attracting possibility to detect retro-MACHOs, retro-images of the Sun by a Schwarzschild black hole. In this paper, we discuss glories (mirages) formed near rapidly rotating Kerr black hole horizons and propose a procedure to measure masses and rotation parameters analyzing these forms of mirages. In some sense that is a manifestation of gravitational lens effect in the strong gravitational field near black hole horizon and a generalization of the retro-gravitational lens phenomenon. We analyze the case of a Kerr black hole rotating at arbitrary speed for some selected positions of a distant observer with respect to the equatorial plane of a Kerr black hole. Some time ago Falcke, Melia, Agol (2000) [ApJ 528, L13S] suggested to search shadows at the Galactic Center. In this paper, we present the boundaries for shadows. We also propose to use future radio interferometer RADIOASTRON facilities to measure shapes of mirages (glories) and to evaluate the black hole spin as a function of the position angle of a distant observer. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.