Material surrounding the black hole Sagittarius A*

This series of three images shows an artist’s impression of a bright “blob” of gas in the disc of material surrounding the black hole in the centre of our Galaxy, Sagittarius A*. This blob of material is responsible for the flares detected by the researchers. As the blob orbits the black hole, it is stretched out, and this expansion over time causes the delay between flares being detected at near-infrared wavelengths (with the VLT) and at submillimetre wavelengths (with APEX).

Credit:

ESO/L. Calçada

About the Image

Id:eso0841b
Type:Artwork
Release date:18 November 2008
Related releases:eso0841
Size:3000 x 6024 px

About the Object

Name:Black hole, Sagittarius A*
Type:Unspecified : Star : Circumstellar Material : Disk : Accretion
Unspecified : Star : Evolutionary Stage : Black Hole
Category:Illustrations

Image Formats

Large JPEG
3.7 MB
Screensize JPEG
457.0 KB