M87* and Sgr A* side-by-side in polarised light

Seen here in polarised light, this side-by-side image of the supermassive black holes M87* and Sagittarius A* indicates to scientists that these beasts have similar magnetic field structures. This is significant because it suggests that the physical processes that govern how a black hole feeds and launches a jet may be universal features amongst supermassive black holes.

The scale shows the apparent size on the sky of these images, in units of micro-arcseconds. A finger held at arm's length measures 1 degree on the sky; a micro-arcsecond is 3.6 billion times smaller than that. In context, the images of these black holes have an apparent size similar to that of a donut on the surface of the Moon.

Crédit:

EHT Collaboration

À propos de l'image

Identification:eso2406b
Type:Collage
Date de publication:27 mars 2024 14:00
Communiqués de presse en rapport:eso2406
Taille:9600 x 5400 px

À propos de l'objet

Nom:M87*, Sagittarius A*
Type:Milky Way : Galaxy : Component : Central Black Hole
Local Universe : Galaxy : Component : Central Black Hole
Catégorie:Quasars and Black Holes

Formats des images

Grand JPEG
2,3 Mio

Couleurs & filtres

DomaineLongueur d'ondeTélescope
Millimétrique1.3 mmEvent Horizon Telescope