Date:

Telescope reveals images of supermassive black hole at centre of galaxy

Astronomers have revealed images of a supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way galaxy using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a telescope array consisting of a global network of radio telescopes.

The researchers had previously identified stars orbiting an invisible massive object at the very centre of the galaxy, now known as Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*, pronounced “sadge-ay-star”) which is now identified as a black hole.

Although you cannot see the black hole itself, the images indicate the glowing ring-like gas structure and light being bent by the powerful gravity pull of the black hole, which is four million times more powerful than the sun in our solar system.

Geoffrey Bower from the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, Taipei said: “We were stunned by how well the size of the ring agreed with predictions from Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity. These unprecedented observations have greatly improved our understanding of what happens at the very centre of our galaxy, and offer new insights on how these giant black holes interact with their surroundings.”

- Advertisement -

The breakthrough follows the EHT 2019 release of the first image of a black hole called M87*, located at the centre of the more distant Messier 87 galaxy. The EHT have collected data on Sgr A* since 2017, only now being able to extrapolate the data to produce an image of the latest confirmation of a black hole discovery.

“We have two completely different types of galaxies and two very different black hole masses, but close to the edge of these black holes they look amazingly similar,” says Sera Markoff, Co-Chair of the EHT Science Council.

EHT

Header Image Credit : EHT

- Advertisement -
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is an award winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 7,500 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education and the BCA Medal of Honour.

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Inca quarries and road network found in Cañete

Archaeologists have discovered Inca quarries and a road network in Cerros de Quilmaná and Cerro Quinta Freno, in the province of Cañete, Peru.

Prison bakery for enslaved people found in Roman Pompeii

Archaeologists have uncovered a Prison bakery during recent excavations in Pompeii.

Baboons in Ancient Egypt were raised in captivity before being mummified

In a new study published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, researchers examined a collection of baboon mummies from the ancient Egyptian site of Gabbanat el-Qurud, the so-called Valley of the Monkeys on the west bank of Luxor.

Archaeologists find 22 mummified burials in Peru

A Polish-Peruvian team of archaeologists have uncovered 22 mummified burials in Barranca, Peru.

Oldest prehistoric fortress found in remote Siberia

An international team, led by archaeologists from Freie Universität Berlin has uncovered an ancient prehistoric fortress in a remote region of Siberia known as Amnya.

Top 10 archaeological discoveries of 2023

The field of archaeology has been continuously evolving in 2023, making significant strides in uncovering new historical findings, preserving cultural heritage, and employing innovative technologies to study the past.

War in Ukraine sees destruction of cultural heritage not witnessed since WW2

The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 has resulted in a significant loss of human lives and the national and international displacement of many Ukrainian people.

Archaeologists find five Bronze Age axes in the forests of Kociewie

According to an announcement by the Pomeranian Provincial Conservator of Monuments, archaeologists have discovered five Bronze Age axes in Starogard Forest District, located in Kociewie, Poland.