First Image Released of Black Hole in Center of Galaxy

Astronomers released the first image of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy on May 12.

As explained in a press release, from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration, astronomers used eight telescopes around the world in combination to create one image of the black hole, known as Sagittarius A. It is located 27,000 light-years away from Earth and is four million times larger than the sun.

Sagittarius A cannot be seen directly, as it is completely dark, so scientists focused on glowing gas around it to capture light bent by the powerful gravity of the black hole.

EHT Project Scientist Geoffrey Bower from the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, Taipei, said: "These unprecedented observations have greatly improved our understanding of what happens at the very center of our galaxy, and offer new insights on how these giant black holes interact with their surroundings.” Credit: Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration via Storyful

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