Skip to main content

James Webb Spots Daily Flares from Milky Way's Supermassive Black Hole

James Webb Spots Daily Flares from Milky Way's Supermassive Black Hole

Astronomers Unveil New Insights into Sagittarius A


Astronomers have captured breathtaking new insights into Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The observations reveal dazzling flares of light erupting near the black hole, shedding light on its chaotic and ever-changing behavior.

Peering Into the Galactic Core


While black holes themselves are invisible, the region surrounding Sagittarius A* is a hotbed of activity. A spinning disk of superheated gas and dust, called the accretion disk, orbits just outside the event horizon—the boundary where gravity becomes so strong that not even light can escape. This disk emits bursts of radiation as material is compressed and heated, creating brilliant flares that can last from seconds to hours.

Unprecedented Observations with JWST

Using JWST’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), researchers observed Sagittarius A* for 48 hours over the course of a year, capturing five to six major flares daily, along with smaller flashes in between. These flares are believed to result from turbulent shifts within the accretion disk, while larger outbursts may be caused by magnetic reconnection events—collisions of magnetic fields that release jets of high-energy particles traveling at near-light speeds.


A Black Hole That Never Sleeps

What makes Sagittarius A* unique is its constant activity. Unlike other supermassive black holes that occasionally settle into a steady state, Sagittarius A* is always on the move. “Every observation shows something new,” said astronomer Farhad Yusef-Zadeh, who led the study. This unpredictability highlights the dynamic nature of our galaxy's central black hole.

Historical evidence suggests that Sagittarius A* has experienced even more dramatic outbursts in the past. X-ray data indicates that one or possibly two massive flares occurred within the last few hundred years, each up to 100,000 times more powerful than anything detected recently. Scientists speculate these ancient flares could have been triggered by the black hole consuming a planet or another large object.


Unraveling the Mysteries of the Cosmos

Supermassive black holes like Sagittarius A* play a pivotal role in shaping galaxies, influencing star formation and galactic structure. By studying their flares and activity patterns, astronomers can gain deeper insights into how these cosmic giants interact with their surroundings and drive the evolution of the universe.

The James Webb Space Telescope's unprecedented observations provide a ringside view of the drama unfolding at the heart of our galaxy. As scientists continue to analyze the data, they hope to uncover the secrets behind Sagittarius A*'s fiery temper and its influence on the cosmos.


Galactic Inferno: Webb Detects Daily Explosions from Milky Way's Central Black Hole

This groundbreaking discovery not only deepens our understanding of black holes but also highlights the stunning power and mystery hidden at the core of the Milky Way.


Source - NDTV

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What’s Lighting Up the Night Sky This August? Here Are the Top 7 Astronomical Events

  What’s Lighting Up the Night Sky This August? Here Are the Top 7 Astronomical Events August is here, and with it comes the bittersweet feeling of summer winding down. But before we trade warm nights for cooler ones, the sky has a few spectacular reminders of why this season is worth staying up late for. This month, the sky is unusually busy, showcasing rare planetary alignments, a beloved meteor shower at its peak, and several planetary “close encounters” that promise more than just wishful thinking. Here are the top seven celestial spectacles you won’t want to miss as summer makes its graceful exit. 9 August: Full Moon Summer nights are slowly getting shorter, but August still holds its ground as one of the best months for skywatching. On 9 August, the Full Moon, traditionally known as the Sturgeon Moon, will light up the sky. It rises and bathes the UK’s night in silvery drama from sunset until dawn with peak illumination at  07:55 GMT (08:55 AM in the UK). The name...
Post a Comment
Read more

A secret second moon for Earth? New discovery shocks scientists

 Astronomers discover previously unknown quasi-moon near Earth      An artist's illustration depicts a typical asteroid. Quasi-moon 2025 PN7 is an asteroid that orbits the sun          but appears close to Earth.   JPL-Caltech/NASA Astronomers have spotted a quasi-moon near Earth — and the small space rock has likely been hanging out near our planet unseen by telescopes for about 60 years, according to new research.           The newly discovered celestial object, named 2025 PN7, is a type of near-Earth asteroid that orbits the sun but sticks close to our planet. Like our world, 2025 PN7 takes one year to complete an orbit around the sun. Quasi-moons differ from temporary mini-moons that occasionally orbit Earth such as  2024 PT5 , which circled the planet for two months in 2024 and could be an ancient fragment that was blasted off of our primary moon. The newly found 2025 PN7 is just one of a handful of k...
Post a Comment
Read more

Asteroid 2024 YR4: Could It Hit Earth in 2032? What Scientists Are Doing to Stop a Potential Disaster

Asteroid 2024 YR4 Could Hit Earth in 7 Years: What We Know So Far A newly discovered asteroid, 2024 YR4 , has a 2% chance of colliding with Earth in 2032 , according to astronomers. While the odds are low, scientists are closely monitoring this space rock, which is estimated to be between 131 and 295 feet (40 to 90 meters) wide—roughly the size of a large building. Although it’s far smaller than the "planet-killer" asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, an impact from 2024 YR4 could still cause significant regional damage. Discovery and Tracking Efforts The asteroid was first spotted on December 27, 2024 , by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile. Since then, observatories worldwide, including the Very Large Telescope in Chile and Hawaii’s Pan-STARRS system, have been tracking its movement. However, due to its distance—cur...
Post a Comment
Read more