Exploring the Heart of the Milky Way: Zooming into Sagittarius A

Exploring the Heart of the Milky Way: Zooming into Sagittarius A

Exploring the Heart of the Milky Way: Zooming into Sagittarius Abr br ESO’s exquisitely sensitive GRAVITY instrument has added further evidence to the long-standing assumption that a supermassive black hole lurks in the centre of the Milky Way. New observations show clumps of gas swirling around at about 30 of the speed of light on a circular orbit just outside a four million solar mass black hole — the first time material has been observed orbiting close to the point of no return, and the most detailed observations yet of material orbiting this close to a black hole.br br This video starts with a wide view of the Milky Way and then zooms into a visualization of data from simulations of orbital motions of gas swirling around at about 30 of the speed of light on a circular orbit around the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*.br br More information and download options: br Credit:br ESOGravity ConsortiumL. CalçadaN. Risinger (skysurvey.org). Music: Johan B.


User: Space Exploration

Views: 4

Uploaded: 2023-09-10

Duration: 01:35