Scientists Find New Clues About The Milky Way’s Black Hole

Experts have long theorized that a massive black hole is at the center of every galaxy, but only in recent years have they had access to telescopes that allow them to see what actually happens in these bizarre areas of the universe.

Hanging by a thread

Most recently, astronomers say they’ve found evidence of strange filaments surrounding the black hole at the center of our own galaxy. The material that looks like threads appear to extend for several light years out into the rest of the Milky Way, but it’s not quite clear just yet what their purpose might be.

It’s clear that whatever happens in the vicinity of a black hole is pretty chaotic as the gravitational pull rips apart and gobbles up whatever dares to venture too close. The result can be massive explosions that shoot out all types of stuff … including, scientists think, these odd-looking filaments that litter the center of our galaxy.

“A total surprise”

While astronomers might be expecting to find just about anything when they peer into the neighborhood of a supermassive black hole, the team responsible for this latest discovery admits that it caught them off guard.

Northwestern University physics and astronomy professor Farhad Zadeh called it “a total surprise discovery,” adding: “When you’re doing such a large-scale survey, you just really don’t know what you’re going to find.”

The team credits their achievement to a powerful South African telescope called MeerKAT and, while the filaments remain a mystery, it’s one that would’ve gone unnoticed without such sensitive equipment.

Before this survey of the Milky Way’s depths, Zadeh explained that “there was no other good mosaic image of this region.”

Chris Agee June 3rd, 2023

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