James Webb Space Telescope Feed Post

Webb Reveals Rapid-Fire Light Show From Milky Way’s Central Black Hole

Better Know a Black Hole… Webb is giving scientists new insight into Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. The swirling disk of gas and dust surrounding it (called the accretion disk) is more active than previously expected, emitting a constant but random stream of flares, from faint flickers to bright eruptions. Scientists observed Webb in 8-10 hour increments, 48 hours total, over the course of a year, tracking the black hole’s changes over time. While they expected to see flares, scientists were surprised by Sagittarius A*’s ongoing “fireworks” of various brightnesses and durations. Its accretion disk generated 5-6 big flares per day, with several small sub-flares or bursts in between. There are even fainter changes in the disk that surge over months. Though scientists don’t fully understand the processes at play here yet, there are theories that connect the turbulent fluctuations in the disk to the minor disturbances observed, and attribute a collision of magnetic fields to the bright flares. These findings can help us better understand the fundamental nature of these supermassive black holes embedded within galaxies, including how they get fed by their surrounding environments, and the dynamics and evolution of galaxies, in particular our own. Read more: go.nasa.gov/3QuTMHX Image credit: Artist's Concept. NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI) Image description: Artist’s Concept. A large, black circle representing a black hole occupies the right third of the frame in this illustration. Thick, clumpy orange streaks arc above and below it, essentially surrounding it. The top arc extends down to the lower left and then curves around in front of the black hole to form a disk that is tilted toward the viewer. Near the inner edge of the disk, several bright, whiter spots have blue filaments looping above them, representing flares. The words “Artist’s Concept” appear in the bottom left corner in gray. Image & Description by NASA