NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured a non-stop, chaotic light show from the debris surrounding Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the heart of our galaxy. The telescope’s infrared capabilities have allowed scientists to observe the black hole with unprecedented detail, revealing unpredictable bursts of light and dramatic flares.
According to new observations published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Sagittarius A* is more dynamic than previously thought. The black hole’s activity appears to be constantly changing, with no predictable pattern, and the size of the bursts ranges from small flickers to enormous eruptions. Some fainter glows last for months on end.
Researchers believe these variations are caused by disturbances within the accretion disk, where hot gas is squeezed and releases bursts of radiation. The brightest blasts might be caused by magnetic fields colliding, sending fast-moving particles tearing through space at nearly the speed of light.
The new results offer more insights into how our galaxy’s black hole changes over time and its impact on galaxy formation. Astronomers hope to refine their understanding with further observations, including a proposed 24-hour uninterrupted observation of Sgr A* with JWST.
“This is what makes observations of the galactic center so exciting,” says Tuan Do, an astrophysicist at the University of California, Los Angeles. “We’ve stared at this spot in the sky for decades now, and it’s amazing to see how much we can learn from new data.”
Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/james-webb-telescope-reveals-a-dazzling-light-show-from-the-milky-ways-black-hole-180986091