Images captured in X-ray and radio wavelengths reveal that the center of the Milky Way is a chaotic region, home to the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*.
The newly released images are a composite made from multiple photographs taken by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. They showcase the complex structures of gas in the center of the Milky Way.
The galactic center is the region surrounding the supermassive black hole located at the heart of the Milky Way, which scientists have named Sagittarius A*.
An impressive image of the center of the Milky Way released by NASA. (Image: NASA).
In the image, the black hole is represented as part of a white-purple spot in the center. While the black hole itself cannot be seen, its location can be inferred from the surrounding hot gas.
Using X-ray telescopes, Chandra captured images in high-energy regions, with X-rays of varying energy levels displayed in shades of orange, green, blue, and purple. Meanwhile, data from the MeerKAT radio telescope is represented in purple and gray.
The streams of gas create these complex structures due to their interactions with magnetic fields. A similar effect can be observed on Earth, where charged particles move through the Solar System and interact with Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in space weather.
At the galactic center, there is not just a single sun controlling space weather. It is influenced by numerous stars and even more fascinating phenomena, such as supernova explosions.
Additionally, the images also reveal star clusters, where enormous clouds of hot gas are expelled from the area, extending about 700 light-years above and below the plane of the galaxy.
