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Observations and Light Curve of Sagittarius A*
This timelapse video shows observations of the Milky Way’s central black hole, known as Sagittarius A* (A-star), by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. At left, NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) images, created by combining data at wavelengths of 2.1 and 4.8 microns, show a point of light that brightens and dims randomly. At right, the brightness is plotted as a function of time. Webb detected both faint flickers and brighter flares (one of which is seen near the end of the video). This video compresses about 9 hours of observations into 30 seconds.
- Release DateFebruary 18, 2025
- Science ReleaseWebb Reveals Rapid-Fire Light Show From Milky Way’s Central Black Hole
- CreditVideo: NASA, ESA, CSA, Farhad Yusef-Zadeh (Northwestern), Howard Bushouse (STScI), Leah Hustak (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
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Flaring Disk Around Milky Way's Black Hole (Artist's Concept)
This artist’s concept portrays the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, known as Sagittarius A* (A-star). It’s surrounded by a swirling accretion disk of hot gas. The black hole’s gravity bends light from the far side of the disk, making it appear to...
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Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov
NASA, ESA, CSA, Farhad Yusef-Zadeh (Northwestern), Howard Bushouse (STScI), Leah Hustak (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
