The Milky Way’s Central Black Hole Woke Up 200 Years Ago

The Milky Way’s

Sagittarius A*: A Colossal Black Hole in the Heart of Our Galaxy, Intriguingly Different From its Counterparts.

Sagittarius A* VS. Other Black Holes: It Shines Less Bright, Suggesting it Hasn't been Actively Feeding on Surrounding Matter.

Recent Data Reveals Sagittarius A* had a Cosmic Snack About 200 Years Ago, Devouring Gas and Space Debris.

Sagittarius A* is Located 25,000 Light Years Away, Millions of Times More Massive Than our Sun.

Surprising X-ray Signals from Gas Clouds Near Sagittarius A* Suggest They Act as Mirrors Reflecting Past Bursts of Light.

IXPE Telescope Studied Molecular Clouds, Pinpointing the Source of Reflected X-rays and Confirming Sagittarius A* as the Origin.

The Flare that Caused the Reflection Likely Occurred Around 200 Earth Years Ago, at the Start of the 1800s.

Further Research Aims to Refine Estimates of the Flare's Intensity and Occurrence, Shedding Light on the Behavior of Sagittarius A*.

IXPE, a Collaborative Project Between NASA and the Italian Space Agency, Involves Scientists from 12 Countries.

Understanding Sagittarius A*'s Behavior and History is Crucial to Unraveling the Mysteries of Black Holes and their Transformations.

Sagittarius A* Exciting Space Discoveries.

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