Physicists Unlock Secrets of Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole
Since the 1980s, physicists have been certain that a supermassive black hole lies at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy, dubbed Sagittarius A* (SgrA*). Two years ago, the groundbreaking Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) captured the first-ever image of SgrA*, offering a glimpse into the mysteries of this cosmic entity. Now, a new polarized image has been unveiled, revealing the swirling magnetic fields surrounding the black hole.
The technical details of this groundbreaking image have been detailed in two new papers published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The EHT, an international collaboration of telescopes utilizing interferometry, captured light in the microwave range of the electromagnetic spectrum to generate high-resolution images of black holes.
In addition to SgrA*, the EHT made headlines in 2019 with the first direct image of a black hole in the galaxy Messier 87, located 55 million light-years away. This year, the EHT released a new polarized image of the black hole in M87*, shedding light on how these cosmic giants consume matter and emit powerful jets.
Moreover, the EHT recently captured images of the “dark heart” of the radio galaxy Centaurus A, pinpointing the supermassive black hole at its center. While SgrA* is smaller and nearer than M87*, its rapid changes on short time scales pose challenges for high-resolution imaging.
As scientists continue to unravel the mysteries of black holes, the EHT remains at the forefront of groundbreaking discoveries, offering new insights into the enigmatic nature of these cosmic behemoths. Stay tuned for more revelations from the depths of space.
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