Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 2 hrs ago
JWST finds metal-rich gas near the Milky Way’s central black hole
JWST found heavy elements in gas near the Milky Way’s central black hole, Sagittarius A*.
The observations focused on a nearby structure called the Galactic Center Minispiral, made of dust and warm gas.
In astronomy, “metals” means elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, which are formed in stars.
The Minispiral’s gas has about 1.8 times the Sun’s metal abundance, according to the researchers.
Past supernovae may have enriched the gas by spreading elements made in stars into space.
The finding may help explain how Earth gained heavy elements, while adding clues about the environment around Sagittarius A*.
JWST observations found gas enriched in heavy elements near Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way’s central supermassive black hole.
The gas is part of the Galactic Center Minispiral, a structure inside the circumnuclear disk.
Researchers inferred metal abundances of about 1.8 times the Sun’s abundance.
The enrichment may be linked to past supernova explosions.
The findings may help explain the environment around the black hole and how heavy elements are distributed.
- Who
- Researchers led by Nicole Ford studied the gas using JWST observations.
- What
- They found that gas near Sagittarius A* is enriched in metals, at about 1.8 times the Sun’s abundance.
- When
- The articles were published on October 20 and October 21, 2026.
- Where
- In the Galactic Center Minispiral near Sagittarius A*, at the center of the Milky Way.
- Why
- The study examined the gas’s composition and ionization state; the enrichment may be due to past supernova explosions.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Universe Today reported on the study of the gas near Sagittarius A*.
Live Science reported on JWST observations of heavy metals around the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole.
- Black hole
- Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*)
- Black hole mass
- About 4 million solar masses
- Study region
- Central 0.1 parsec of the Milky Way
- Instrument
- JWST’s MIRI Medium Resolution Spectrograph
- Metal abundance
- About 1.8 times solar
- Gas features
- Bar, Northern Arm and Blue-shifted Compact structures
2 sources
What people are saying
At subparsec scales in the Minispiral, we infer metal abundances of ∼1.8 × solar.
Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) is the nearest quiescent supermassive black hole, and its proximity offers a unique opportunity to study its surrounding fuel supply.