... GRO J1655 40: Evidence for a Spinning Black Hole . ... In the center of a swirling whirlpool of hot gas is likely a beast that has never been seen directly: a black hole. ... The Milky Way flows through this celestial expanse whose wonders also include the closest star to the sun, Alpha Centauri, and the largest globular star cluster in our galaxy, Omega Centauri. NGC 1579: Trifid of the North . ... About 2,100 light-years away and 3 light-years across, NGC 1579 is a captivating study in color. ...