At the center of the Milky Way galaxy is a massive, mysterious presence exerting a powerful influence on the stars around it — and on the imaginations of astronomers.
Now scientists have the first-ever photograph of the formidable force at the center of our galaxy: Sagittarius A*, a supermassive black hole with the mass of 4 million suns.
The image, unveiled Thursday, was captured by a network of eight radio observatories at six locations around the world. Together they form the practical equivalent of an Earth-sized telescope designed to see some of the most mysterious and perplexing objects in the universe.
