Images of ‘our’ black hole captured
LOS ANGELES: At the centre of the Milky Way galaxy is a massive, mysterious presence exerting a powerful influence on the stars around it — and on the imaginations of astronomers.
Now, scientists have the first photograph of the formidable force at the centre of our galaxy: Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), a supermassive black hole with the mass of 4 million suns.
The image, unveiled yesterday, was captured by a network of eight radio observatories at six locations around the world. Together they form the practical equivalent of an Earthsized telescope designed to see some of the most mysterious and perplexing objects in the universe.
Taking a picture of a black hole is a singular feat, since its signature feature is that nothing within its gravitational grasp can escape — including light.
Astronomers can see the ringshaped event horizon and beyond that the golden, gauzy ring of superheated gas