~ Deep in the heart of our Milky Way... ~
(article)
This 400 by 900 light-year mosaic of several Chandra images of the central
region of our Milky Way
galaxy reveals hundreds of white dwarf stars, neutron stars, and black holes
bathed in an incandescent fog
of multimillion-degree gas. The supermassive black hole at the center of the
Galaxy is located
inside the bright white patch in the center of the image.
The colors indicate X-ray energy bands - red (low), green (medium), and blue
(high).
The mosaic
gives a new perspective on how the turbulent Galactic Center region affects
the evolution of
the Galaxy as a whole. An analysis of the X-ray data showed that the temperature
of the gas does not
have to be 100 million degrees Celsius, as previously thought.
Rather, a relatively mild 10 million degrees will do.
This
hot gas appears to be escaping from the center into the rest of the Galaxy.
The outflow of gas, chemically enriched from the frequent destruction of stars,
will distribute these elements into the galactic suburbs.
Because it is only about 25,000 light years from Earth,
the center of our Galaxy provides an excellent laboratory to learn about the
cores of other galaxies.
