JOURNAL ARTICLE

The discovery of a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

  • Published In: American Journal of Physics, 2023, v. 91, n. 5. P. 386 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: McDonough, Bryanne; Withers, Paul 3 of 3

Abstract

This article focuses on explaining the discovery and astrophysical evidence for a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, recognized by the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics. Using accessible physics concepts such as Newton's version of Kepler's third law, astrometric and spectroscopic observations of stars orbiting the galactic center reveal a mass of approximately 4.5 million solar masses confined within a very small radius, inconsistent with alternative explanations like flat disks, gas or dust clouds, or clusters of compact objects due to their dynamical or collisional instabilities. The only viable interpretation consistent with the observed mass, size, luminosity, and stability constraints is a supermassive black hole, a conclusion further confirmed by the 2022 Event Horizon Telescope's first direct image of this black hole.

Additional Information

  • Source:American Journal of Physics. 2023/05, Vol. 91, Issue 5, p386
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:0002-9505
  • DOI:10.1119/5.0086222
  • Accession Number:163333152
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