The Galactic Center

In a 16-year long study, using several of ESO's flagship telescopes, a team of German astronomers has produced the most detailed view ever of the surroundings of the monster lurking at our Galaxy's heart — a supermassive black hole. The research has unravelled the hidden secrets of this tumultuous region by mapping the orbits of almost 30 stars, a five-fold increase over previous studies. One of the stars has now completed a full orbit around the black hole. By watching the motions of 28 stars orbiting the Milky Way's most central region with admirable patience and amazing precision, astronomers have been able to study the supermassive black hole lurking there. It is known as 'Sagittarius A*' (pronounced 'Sagittarius A star'). The new research marks the first time that the orbits of so many of these central stars have been calculated precisely and reveals information about the enigmatic formation of these stars — and about the black hole to which they are bound.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• galaxy
• Milky
• Way
• Sagittarius
• constellation
• light
• years

[zappa128]

That music sucks so bad!

[RayJPictures]

TURN DOWN THE MUSIC!!!!!

I COULD BARELY HEAR YOU

[Sakanakao]

@budzsack Thank you.

[guiriduro]

@Icabosa - I remember hearing that if there weren't a large single mass at the centre then the orbiting stars would display much more eccentricity or wobble if it were just a confluence of orbits. The fact that they don't wobble suggests there's a large single mass there.

[mahdesimon2]

@klsar1 Though I guess the so called dark energy exceeds any gravitational impetus Sagittarius A* could have to do so.

[mahdesimon2]

@klsar1 center of mass of the universe, perhaps

[lcabosa]

ok, theres a center of revolution, theres no need for a black hole, find some other phisical mecanism isnted of the simpliest path.

[klsar1]

I'm no scientist, but it sounds like the moons rotate around the planets, the planets rotate around the stars, and the stars rotate around the black hole. So what does the black hole rotate around?

[charlesfrith]

Music overwhelms the narration.

[budzsack]

Fade to left speaker. No music over there just talking :p