Journey to the Galactic Center

The center of our Milky Way Galaxy, located about 27,000 light years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, is occupied by a supermassive black hole. This black hole contains over 4 million times the mass of our Sun in an area smaller than half the orbit of Mercury. Matter accreting into the black hole is heated up to millions of degrees, which makes the area shine bright in radio and infrared waves. This radio source is called Sagittarius A*; the black hole itself cannot be seen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A*

Over the past 16 years, astronomers have tracked a full orbit of a star, S2, around the black hole. At it's closest point (perinigricon), S2 comes to within 17 light-hours of the black hole. From studying the Keplerian motions of S2 and other stars near the Galactic Center, astronomers have determined that these stars must be under the influence of an enormously massive, compact object. The only celestial object that could meet those requirements is a black hole. A huge black hole.

This video begins with a picture showing the central 3 light years (central parsec) of our Galaxy. It then goes into a full zoom from our viewpoint to the Galactic Center, then shows the orbits of various stars around the black hole.

Credit: ESO
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081211.html

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• astronomy
• Milky
• Way
• galaxy
• black
• hole
• Sagittarius
• S2
• accretion
• disc
• astrophysics

[zdrastvutye]

if the diameter of the orbit is 2 light days as seen in 2:22, how long does one trip around the black hole take? this has to be much shorter than a mans lifetime (for example no one observed the trip of jupiter but calculated it) =means the incrediiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiibl­e mass of the black hole.

[NYCZ31]

@zdrastvutye The orbit of the S2 star is 15.56 years. Astronomers have observed it complete a full orbit

[phoenixangel1120]

does anyone know the truth of the center of the earth...saw a Journey to the Center of the Earth...with all the conspiracies and cover ups it makes you wonder...have trips been made there to discover the truth...any pics or vids or audios from the trips...where do i find into

[NYCZ31]

@phoenixangel1120 Geologists have used earthquakes to study the Earth's interior. Same goes for the Moon, and even the Sun! Check wikipedia's entry on the Structure of the Earth

[NYCZ31]

I read they are trying to image the actual event horizon in the radio spectrum. So what does that mean? Does this mean an image that you can actually SEE an event horizon? A big black ball in the middle of an accretion disk?

[halowraith1]

Did you meet The Grox on the way there?

[thegeffc]

love the video really good

[simysimss]

Very enjoyable thank you

[SuperDogbrown]

love the video really good

[clairebehun]

i enjoyed this vid

[zdrastvutye]

i calculated with g(star)=fn*m/r^2 that an object in that distance has an

acceleration of less than 1 m/s ^2 (r is 2.5 e13 meters)

the acceleration on the surface (r is the distance mercury-sun) is about 157740 m/s^2 what would be the maximum speed of an object having an impact on the black mass giant???

[zdrastvutye]

i calculated with g(star)=fn*m/r^2 that an object in that distance has an

acceleration of less than 1 m/s ^2

the acceleration on the surface is about 157740 m/s^2 what would be the maximum speed of an object having an impact on the black mass giant???

[zdrastvutye]

@bygota described by newton as an equilibrium between gravity and escape forces. but if i would explain this to everyone i would be einstein. a physical figure was thus named by newton