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Milky Way Jet

Multiwavelength composite view of Milky Way's center; vertical white fan graphic represents jet's axis from the black hole.

This is a composite view of X-rays, molecular gas, and warm ionized gas near the galactic center. The graphic of a translucent, vertical white fan is added to show the suggested axis of a mini-jet from the supermassive black hole at the galaxy’s heart. The orange-colored features are of glowing hydrogen gas. One such feature, at the top tip of the jet is interpreted as a hydrogen cloud that has been hit by the outflowing jet. The jet scatters off the cloud into tendrils that flow northward. Farther down near the black hole are X-ray observations of superheated gas colored blue and molecular gas in green. These data are evidence that the black hole occasionally accretes stars or gas clouds, and ejects some of the superheated material along its spin axis.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    23:59:46.73
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    +00:04:06.72
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Sagittarius
  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    26,000 light-years
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    Image is 6.7 arcmin across (about 50 light-years)

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.

    This multiwavelength image combines data from several observatories with observations from HST program 11120 (Q. Wang)

  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    NICMOS
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    Feb-Jun 2008
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F187N
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Galactic Center (Sagittarius A*)
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Black hole at the center of the Milky Way
  • Release Date
    December 9, 2021
  • Science Release
    Mini-Jet Found Near Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole
    Read the release
  • Credits
    NASA, ESA, Gerald Cecil (UNC-Chapel Hill); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

Downloads

  • Unannotated Image, 2678 × 3310
    tif (14.22 MB)
  • Unannotated Image, 2678 × 3310
    png (14.84 MB)
  • Unannotated Image, 1618 × 2000
    png (5.4 MB)
  • Chandra X-ray Only, 2678 × 3310
    tif (4.99 MB)
  • Chandra X-ray Only, 2678 × 3310
    png (6.55 MB)
  • Chandra X-ray Only, 1618 × 2000
    png (2.38 MB)
  • Hubble IR Only, 2678 × 3310
    tif (13.24 MB)
  • Hubble IR Only, 2678 × 3310
    png (15.01 MB)
  • Hubble IR Only, 1618 × 2000
    png (5.34 MB)
  • ALMA Millimeter Only, 2678 × 3310
    tif (575.75 KB)
  • ALMA Millimeter Only, 2678 × 3310
    png (636.81 KB)
  • ALMA Millimeter Only, 1618 × 2000
    png (238.06 KB)
  • VLA Radio Only, 2678 × 3310
    tif (4.66 MB)
  • VLA Radio Only, 2678 × 3310
    png (7.14 MB)
  • VLA Radio Only, 1618 × 2000
    png (2.35 MB)
  • Full Res, 2678 × 3310
    tif (14.31 MB)
  • Full Res, 2678 × 3310
    png (14.99 MB)
  • 1618 × 2000
    png (5.49 MB)
Multiwavelength composite view of Milky Way's center; vertical white fan graphic represents jet's axis from the black hole.
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

Blue: Chandra X-rayYellow: Hubble InfraredGreen: ALMA Millimeter Red: VLA Radio

Compass and Scale
Compass and ScaleAn astronomical image with a scale that shows how large an object is on the sky, a compass that shows how the object is oriented on the sky, and the filters with which the image was made.

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Details

Last Updated
Mar 11, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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