Astronomers reveal first image of black hole at the center of the Milky Way

Astronomers from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) international consortium revealed on Thursday the first image of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way, called Sagittarius A*, or Sgr A*.

The research group brings together eight existing observatories across the planet to form a single Earth-sized virtual telescope. The telescope was named the “event horizon,” the boundary of the black hole beyond which no light can escape.

According to astronomers, the event horizon cannot be seen because it is not capable of emitting light. However, glowing gas orbiting around the black hole reveals a dark central region, called a “shadow”, surrounded by a glowing ring-shaped structure.

The new image captures light deflected by the black hole’s strong gravity, which is 4 million times more massive than the sun.



Source: CNN Brasil

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