Where is sagittarius a

This object emits a large amount of radiation in IR, X-rays, and gamma-rays. It appears to be motionless, but we see gas apparently orbiting the source. They have measured the orbit of a star that comes within 17 light-hours of the object in the core of our Galaxy, which is a distance that is only a few times larger than the orbit of Pluto around the Sun.

The mass that results from the study of this star and other nearby stars is 4 million solar masses! The only type of object that astronomers believe can have a mass of approximately 4 million stars, but a radius of about AU, is a black hole. Detecting Other Worlds. Transiting Exoplanet. Direct Imaging.

Exoplanet Diversity. Orbital Distance. Forms of Light. Seeing Through Smoke. Electromagnetic Spectrum. Infrared Animals. Omega Centauri. Gathering Light. Hubble Ultra Deep Field. Star Cluster NGC Analyzing Light. Spectrum of the Star Altair. Southern Crab Nebula. Supernova E Starburst Galaxy M The three components of Sagittarius A overlap. The supernova remnant Sgr A East is the largest component.

The size of its radio shell is the smallest of the known mixed-morphology supernova remnants. Sgr A East is about 25 light years wide and is believed to have formed after a supernova event that occurred between 35, and , BCE. However, the size of the object indicates that it would have taken 50 to times more energy than a standard supernova event to form a remnant this wide. The Sagittarius A West complex of ionized gas, here observed in the Bracket gamma line of ionized Hydrogen, has the apparent shape of a three-arm spiral.

The color shades represent different radial velocities, explicited on the spectrum in the upper-left inset, which corresponds to the selected pixel. Image: Thibaut Paumard. It appears motionless, but there are clouds of dust and gas orbiting it, which provides a clue to the nature of the object. They arrived at approximately 4 million solar masses. The only kind of object that can be that massive and have a radius of about astronomical units is a black hole.

The target area is a rare transparent window to the distant central bulge stars located approximately 27, light-years away from Earth. Location: 17h 45 m The black hole was detected within a cluster of seven stars and its mass was estimated at 1, solar masses. The stellar orbits in the galactic centre show that the central mass concentration of four million solar masses must be a black hole, beyond any reasonable doubt.

If it were, we would be able to see the object magnified as a result of gravitational lensing , a phenomenon that occurs because light of a distant source gets lensed, or bent by the gravity of an exceptionally massive object in the foreground. The Einstein Cross in Pegasus constellation is a good example. In the main image, the brightest white dot is the hottest material located closest to the black hole, and the surrounding pinkish blob is hot gas, likely belonging to a nearby supernova remnant.