[petuniasevan]

Astronomy Fun Fact:

Big BIG discovery! Astronomers have postulated the existence of a black hole at the center of our Galaxy, but until now had little hard evidence. No more! The surrounding stars' orbits are telling the tale!

[petuniasevan]

[RadioAstronomer]

:-))))

Thanks for the daily post and ping!

[petuniasevan]

Photo 23b/02 shows an infrared NACO image of a ~ 2 x 2 arcsec² area, centred on the position of the compact radio source "SgrA*" at the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy; it is marked by a small cross. The image was obtained in the K_s-band at wavelength 2.1 µm in May 2002 and the angular resolution (image sharpness) is about 0.060 arcsec. At about the same time, the star designated "S2" came within 0.015 arcsec of the radio source. At the distance of the Milky Way Center, 1 arcsec on the sky corresponds to 46 light-days [5]; the bar is 20 light-days long (0.44 arcsec). In PR Photo 23c/02, "SgrA*" and S2 are identified in the left panel. The right panel displays the orbit of S2 as observed between 1992 and 2002, relative to SgrA* (marked with a circle). The positions of S2 at the different epochs are indicated by crosses with the dates (expressed in fractions of the year) shown at each point. The size of the crosses indicates the measurement errors. The solid curve is the best-fitting elliptical orbit - one of the foci is at the position of SgrA*. The 2002 data points come from NACO observations done during the early commissioning, fine adjustment, and Science Verification phases for this instrument; these data were promptly made public through the ESO Archive, cf. the NACO data webpage.

[RightWhale]

We better send a space probe out there to check it out. We should start tomorrow.

--But, do you know it will take 5000 years to get there from here?

Oh, that is a long time, we better start today.

[firewalk]

Thanks petuniasevan

[Joan912]

Very cool! It's just too bad I am clueless when it comes to physics and the study of time/space, etc. *Sigh* I will just continue to enjoy the pics and revel in the enthusiasm of you and the rest of the astro-posters. :)

[MozartLover]

bump

[rockfish59]

I wonder if there's any commies out there?

[Consort]

Is our galaxy being drawn into the Black Hole or did our galaxy emerge from the Black Hole. In other words, does the graphic show the input or output side of the Black Hole?

[fporretto]

But of course, this is not the end of the controversy. The NAACP will immediately file suit to demand tax relief and community-improvement projects for the black hole in its "inner-galaxy ghetto," so that the predominantly "white" stars in the surrounding galactic suburbs won't be able to send their darling nebulinas to schools that will give them an unfair advantage in later life!

Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Visit the Palace Of Reason: http://palaceofreason.com