Today’s Spotlight features an image from NASA/JPL Caltech/S. Stolovy, of the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The brightest white spot in the middle is the very center of the galaxy, which also marks the site of a supermassive black hole.
As black holes go, Sagittarius A* is relatively low‑key. The black hole at the center of our galaxy emits very little energy for its size, giving off roughly as much energy as the sun, even though it is 4 billion times as massive.
However, astronomers have observed that nearly once a day, the black hole rouses to action, emitting a brief burst of light before settling back down. It’s unclear what causes such flare‑ups, and scientists have sought to characterize these periodic bursts in order to better understand how black holes evolve.
Read more.
As black holes go, Sagittarius A* is relatively low‑key. The black hole at the center of our galaxy emits very little energy for its size, giving off roughly as much energy as the sun, even though it is 4 billion times as massive.
However, astronomers have observed that nearly once a day, the black hole rouses to action, emitting a brief burst of light before settling back down. It’s unclear what causes such flare‑ups, and scientists have sought to characterize these periodic bursts in order to better understand how black holes evolve.
Read more.