Archive · 10 Jan 2026
NASA Finds Milky Way's Black Hole Active
Scientists using a special space telescope found that the big black hole at the center of our galaxy, called Sagittarius A*, was much more active in the past than we thought.
They discovered that this black hole sent out powerful bursts of X-rays over the last 1,000 years.
Normally, black holes don't emit light, but the gas and dust around them can get super hot and create X-rays.
The scientists used a space telescope called XRISM to study a big gas cloud near the center of our galaxy.
This cloud acted like a mirror, reflecting X-rays from past bursts of the black hole.
This discovery helps scientists understand how black holes change over time and how they affect the galaxies around them.
The leader of the team, Stephen Dikerby, was very surprised by this finding and said it gives us new tools to study black holes.
Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) at the Milky Way's center was more active in the past, producing powerful X-ray flares over the last 1,000 years.
Discovery made using the XRISM spacecraft, a joint mission of Japan, Europe, and the United States.
X-rays from past flares were reflected by a large gas cloud near the galactic center, acting like a cosmic mirror.
XRISM's high sensitivity allowed precise measurement of X-ray energy and composition, ruling out other potential sources.
Findings provide new insights into the evolution of supermassive black holes and their impact on surrounding galaxies.
- Who
- NASA and international team using XRISM spacecraft
- What
- Discovery of past X-ray flares from Sgr A*
- When
- Flares occurred over the last 1,000 years
- Where
- Milky Way's galactic center
- Why
- To study the evolution of supermassive black holes
- Black Hole Name
- Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*)
- Mass of Sgr A*
- 4 million suns
- Discovery Tool
- XRISM spacecraft
- Timeframe of Activity
- Last 1,000 years
- Key Scientist
- Stephen Dikerby
- XRISM Launch Year
- 2023