Chandra Stares Deep into the Heart of Sagittarius A*

Caption: Latest Chandra image of Sgr A*. Credits: X-ray: NASA/CXC/MIT/F. Baganoff, R. Shcherbakov et al.

How long can you stare at an object? This Chandra image of the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, known as Sagittarius A* (or Sgr A* for short)Sgr A* and the surrounding region is based on data from a series of observations lasting a total of about one million seconds, or almost two weeks. Such a deep observation has given scientists an unprecedented view of the nearby supernova remnant, known as Sgr A East, and the lobes of hot gas extending for a dozen light years on either side of the black hole. These lobes provide evidence for powerful eruptions occurring several times over the last ten thousand years. But this image also provides evidence that Sgr A* isn't a very good eater.
(...)
Read the rest of Chandra Stares Deep into the Heart of Sagittarius A* (343 words)