An Immersive Visualization of the Galactic Center

Explanation: What if you could look out from the center of our Galaxy -- what might you see? Two scientifically-determined possibilities are shown in the featured video , an immersive 360-degree view which allows you to look around in every direction. The pictured computer simulation is based on infrared data from ESO 's Very Large Telescope in Chile and X-ray data from NASA 's orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory . As the video starts, you quickly approach Sgr A* , the supermassive black hole in the Galactic center . Then looking out, this 500-year time-lapse simulation shows glowing gas and many points of light orbiting all around you. Many of these points are young Wolf-Rayet star s that have visible hot winds blowing out into surrounding nebulas. Clouds approaching close become elongated, while objects approaching too close fall in. Toward the video's end the simulation repeats , but this time with the dynamic region surrounding Sgr A* expelling hot gas that pushes back against approaching material.