|
APOD: 2024 April 1 Á Swirling Magnetic Field around Our Galaxys Central Black Hole
| << Yesterday | 1.04.2024 | Tomorrow >> |
Credit & Copyright: EHT Collaboration
Explanation:
What's happening to the big black hole in the center of our galaxy?
It is sucking in matter from a swirling disk -- a disk that is
magnetized, it has now been confirmed.
Specifically, the
black hole's accretion disk
has recently been seen to emit
polarized light,
radiation frequently associated with a
magnetized source.
Pictured here is a close-up of Sgr A*, our
Galaxy's central black hole, taken by
radio telescopes
around the world participating in the
Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration.
Superposed are illustrative curved lines indicating
polarized light likely emitted from
swirling magnetized gas that will soon fall into the
4+ million mass
central black hole.
The central part of this image is likely dark because little light-emitting gas is
visible between us and the
dark event
horizon of the black hole.
Continued EHT monitoring of this and M87's central black hole may
yield new clues
about the gravity of black holes and how infalling matter creates
disks and
jets.
NASA Predicts: Moon to Get in Way of Sun
|
January February March April May |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Galactic Center - black hole
Publications with words: Galactic Center - black hole
See also:
- The Galaxy, the Jet, and a Famous Black Hole
- APOD: 2024 May 8 Á Visualization: A Black Hole Accretion Disk
- APOD: 2024 May 7 Á Black Hole Accreting with Jet
- APOD: 2024 May 5 Á A Black Hole Disrupts a Passing Star
- Milky Way Rising
- UHZ1: Distant Galaxy and Black Hole
- APOD: 2023 April 3 Á The Galactic Center Radio Arc