Quick facts
What it is: Sagittarius B2 (Sgr B2) molecular cloud
Where it is: 25,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius
When it was shared: Sept. 24, 2025
Why it's so special: Stars in the Milky Way galaxy are born in huge molecular clouds. The most massive is Sagittarius B2, which is just a few hundred light-years from our the galaxy's central black hole (called Sagittarius A*). This black hole is much more bountiful than you might first think — it has 10% of the galactic center's gas, but accounts for about half of the region's ongoing star formation. Why star formation is so disproportionate within the galactic center region is a conundrum for scientists.
