Sagittarius A* has been in the news recently due to the groundbreaking images captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project, revealing the first-ever direct image of a black hole in 2019. This achievement provided valuable insights into the nature of black holes and the extreme conditions near Sagittarius A*.
Sagittarius A* is a supermassive black hole located at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, approximately 26,000 light-years from Earth. It has a mass equivalent to about 4 million times that of the Sun and is surrounded by a dense cluster of stars. Despite its massive size, Sagittarius A* is relatively dim in visible light, but it emits powerful radio waves and X-rays, making it a prominent feature in the study of galactic centers.
Scientists believe that Sagittarius A* plays a crucial role in shaping the dynamics of the Milky Way and influencing the movement of stars and gas clouds in its vicinity. Studying Sagittarius A* provides valuable insights into the behavior of supermassive black holes and their impact on the evolution of galaxies, making it a focal point of astronomical research and discovery.