Illustration for the question “What is the name of the supermassive black hole located at the center of the Milky Way?”

Nature

What is the name of the supermassive black hole located at the center of the Milky Way?

Correct answer Sagittarius A*

Fact

Did you know?

Sagittarius A* is a supermassive black hole at the heart of our galaxy, the Milky Way. It has a mass equivalent to about 4 million times that of the Sun. Black holes are objects so dense that nothing, not even light, can escape their gravity. Sagittarius A* is relatively quiet for a supermassive black hole, but observations of material approaching its event horizon provide crucial information about the nature of black holes and galaxy dynamics. The discovery that a supermassive black hole resides at the center of nearly every large galaxy has transformed our understanding of the universe.

Content last updated · April 10, 2024

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