Post by Udeze Nestor (@Nesmoore1)

At the centre of the Milky Way, 27,000 light-years from Earth, lies Sagittarius A* — a supermassive black hole containing around four million times the mass of our Sun.

The image on the left was the first direct image of Sagittarius A*, released in 2022.

The image on the right reveals something even more remarkable: the magnetic fields surrounding it. By studying polarized light, astronomers were able to map the invisible forces shaping the extreme environment around the black hole.

The dark centre is the black hole’s shadow. The glowing ring is superheated gas orbiting at enormous speeds before crossing the event horizon.

For most of human history, the heart of our galaxy was hidden from view.

Now, we can finally see it. 🌌🕳️

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