Milky Way black hole to devour giant gas cloud
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Scientists look forward to viewing an upcoming space feast as a giant gas cloud approaches a black hole in the center of the Milky Way. It may offer an unprecedented chance to see how black holes devour objects.
From National Geographic:
The black hole at the center of the Milky Way, 26,000 light-years away, is named Sagittarius A*. Sgr A* — that's the standard abbreviation; its surname is pronounced A-star — is currently a tranquil black hole, a picky eater. Other galaxies contain star-shredding, planet-devouring Godzillas called quasars.
But Sgr A* is preparing to dine. It's pulling a gas cloud named G2 toward it at about 1,800 miles a second. Within as little as a year G2 will approach the hole's event horizon. At this point radio telescopes around the world will focus on Sgr A*, and it's hoped that by synchronizing them to form a planet-size observatory called the Event Horizon Telescope, we will produce an image of a black hole in action. It's not the hole itself we will see but likely what's known as the accretion disk, a ring of debris outlining the edge of the hole, the equivalent of crumbs on a tablecloth after a hearty meal. This should be enough to dispel most doubts that black holes exist.
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On The Daily Circuit, we discuss how black holes work, and what scientists really know about these super-massive objects.
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