ESO Shares the First Image of the Black Hole at the Center of the Milky Way
We cannot see the black hole itself, since it is completely black, but the luminous gas around proves that it is there: the dark central region is surrounded by a bright ring-like structure. The new image captures light distorted by the powerful gravity of the black hole.
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) reports that astronomers have unveiled the first image of a supermassive black hole located in the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way.
Scientists have long observed stars orbiting some invisible and very massive object in the heart of tour galaxy. The new image of the shadow of a supermassive black hole is the first direct visual proof of its existence. The black hole, known as Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), is located 27 thousand light-years from the Earth.
Scientists have been observing the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* at the center of our galaxy for more than three years.
We cannot see the black hole itself, since it is completely black, but the luminous gas around proves that it is there: the dark central region is surrounded by a bright ring-like structure. The new image captures light distorted by the powerful gravity of the black hole.