Astronomers Uncover Wind from Milky Way's Central Black Hole, Ending 50-Year Mystery
Scientists just solved a decades-old mystery about the black hole in the middle of our galaxy

Image: The Independent
Astronomers have solved a decades-old mystery regarding Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. Using advanced observations, they detected a 20,000-year-old wind, providing insights into the black hole's influence on galactic evolution.
- 01The research team utilized five years of data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array in Chile.
- 02The new observations revealed a cone-shaped hole devoid of gas, indicating the presence of hot wind from Sagittarius A*.
- 03This study marks the first clear detection of wind from a black hole, which had eluded scientists for over 50 years.
- 04The findings suggest that Sagittarius A* is currently in a quieter phase, despite evidence of past disruptions.
- 05The research was co-led by Mark Gorski from Northwestern University and Elena Murchikova.
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After more than 50 years of speculation, astronomers have identified wind produced by Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. This breakthrough was made possible through five years of observations using the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array in Chile. The researchers discovered a cone-shaped area devoid of gas, believed to be created by hot wind from the black hole, which is approximately 20,000 years old. Mark Gorski, an astrophysicist involved in the study, emphasized that black holes must produce some form of wind unless they exist in a perfect vacuum, which is not found in the universe. The new imaging was significantly sharper and deeper than previous attempts, allowing scientists to visualize areas previously obscured by gas and dust. The study indicates that Sagittarius A* is currently in a quieter phase, although past disruptions have been noted. The findings align with X-ray emissions detected by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, confirming the existence of the wind.
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