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This composite image depicting the center of our Milky Way galaxy features a row of bright spots and translucent swirls, set against a backdrop of purple and red clouds and stars. The clouds show hot gas seen with Chandra. The translucent threads, which are mysterious sources of radio waves, create clusters, streaks, and ribbons. Several of these distinct shapes resemble smoke trails captured on film. While most of the distinct swirls and bright spots sit in an orderly row across the middle of the image, one very bright spot sits at our lower righthand corner. This is the area around Sagittarius C, a bright star forming region, which here resembles a golden white orb ringed with hints of green.

Black Holes

Black Holes

Stand at the edge of the event horizon, and embrace a journey of discovery.

Galactic Center
Galactic Center
The center of our Milky Way galaxy, home to the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*. This region is dense with stars, gas, and cosmic phenomena.

Distance: 26,000 light-years

Explore Galactic Center