Mystery at the Galactic Center

This 400 by 900 light-year mosaic of several NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory images of the central region of our Milky Way galaxy reveals hundreds of white dwarf stars, neutron stars, and black holes bathed in an incandescent fog of multimillion-degree gas. The supermassive black hole at the center of the Galaxy is located inside the bright white patch in the center of the image.

The mosaic gives a new perspective on how the turbulent Galactic Center region affects the evolution of the Galaxy as a whole. This hot gas appears to be escaping from the center into the rest of the Galaxy. The outflow of gas, chemically enriched from the frequent destruction of stars, will distribute these elements into the galactic suburbs. Because it is only about 25,000 light years from Earth, the center of our Galaxy provides an excellent laboratory to learn about the cores of other galaxies.

Scientists have long suspected that massive balck holes existed at the centers of most galaxies, beginning with Sir Martin Rees in 1974. But the mystery has deepened. For a brillant essay on that mystery click here. Posted by Casey Kazan.