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Key Information

Sagittarius A*

Type Supermassive black hole
Diameter 32.2 million miles
Mass 4 million solar masses
Length of Day 5.6 days
Distance from Earth 26,673 light years
Date of Discovery 1933

Learning Point

  • The black hole at the center of our galaxy is known as Sagittarius A* and is the largest black hole in our galaxy. It is the source of huge amounts of X-Rays, and is classed as a supermassive black hole.

Project

  • Find out when it was discovered, by whom, and when people began to think it was a black hole.
  • Overview
  • Real Photograph
  • Star Movement (2018)
  • Star Movement (2021)
Sagittarius A*
Real photograph of Sagittarius A*
By EHT Collaboration – https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso2208-eht-mwa/ (image link), CC BY 4.0, Link
Movement of stars around Sagittarius A*
ESO/MPE, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Movement of stars around Sagittarius A*
ESO/GRAVITY collaboration/L. Calçada, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Location

Located in Sagittarius constellation, within our Milk Way

Fun Facts

  • Sagittarius A* is thought to be around 4 million suns in size, and bigger than the orbit of Mercury.
  • The massive stars nearby orbit around the black hole and have helped us identify where it is and how big it is.
  • The black hole was observed and a special picture produced to help us understand the basic shape of the accretion disk that is around it.

Past Lessons

69 November 13, 2023 (North America)
No Past Lessons

Upcoming Lessons

No Upcoming Lessons