Most Detailed Observations of Material close to a Black Hole
ESO's GRAVITY instrument has investigated the supermassive black hole lurking at the centre of our Milky Way.
It spotted clumps of gas swirling around the black hole at about 30% of the speed of light.
If this gas was any closer in, it would be doomed to be pulled beyond the event horizon, vanishing beyond the point of no return.
This is the first time material orbiting so close to a black hole has been seen in detail...
...and supports the long-standing assumption that the object in the centre of our Milky Way is a supermassive black hole.
Transcribed by ESO; Translated by —