Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2024 April 1
   [2]A donut-shaped orange figure is seen with lines extending along the
     emission in a swirling pattern. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

       Swirling Magnetic Field around Our Galaxy's Central Black Hole
                     Image Credit: [3]EHT Collaboration

   Explanation: What's happening to the big black hole in the center of
   our galaxy? It is sucking in matter from a swirling disk -- a disk that
   is [4]magnetized, it has now been confirmed. Specifically, the [5]black
   hole's accretion disk has recently been seen to emit [6]polarized
   light, radiation frequently associated with a [7]magnetized source.
   [8]Pictured here is a close-up of Sgr A*, our [9]Galaxy's central black
   hole, taken by [10]radio telescopes [11]around the world participating
   in the [12]Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration. Superposed are
   illustrative curved lines indicating [13]polarized light likely emitted
   from swirling magnetized gas that will soon fall into the 4+ million
   mass [14]central black hole. The central part of this image is likely
   dark because little light-emitting gas is visible between us and the
   [15]dark event [16]horizon of the black hole. [17]Continued EHT
   monitoring of this and M87's central black hole may [18]yield new clues
   about the gravity of black holes and how infalling matter creates
   [19]disks and [20]jets.

      NASA Predicts: [21]Moon to Get in Way of Sun Tomorrow's picture:
                                corona-vision
     __________________________________________________________________

      [22]< | [23]Archive | [24]Submissions | [25]Index | [26]Search |
   [27]Calendar | [28]RSS | [29]Education | [30]About APOD | [31]Discuss |
                                    [32]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([36]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [37]Specific rights apply.
            [38]NASA Web Privacy, [39]Accessibility, [40]Notices;
                A service of: [41]ASD at [42]NASA / [43]GSFC,
                         [44]NASA Science Activation
                           & [45]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2404/SagAstarB_EHT_2000.jpg
   3. https://eventhorizontelescope.org/organization
   4. https://pwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/Imagnet.html
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140323.html
   6. https://youtu.be/E9qpbt0v5Hw
   7. https://youtu.be/60qnTvDbOZ0
   8. https://eventhorizontelescope.org/blog/astronomers-unveil-strong-magnetic-fields-spiraling-edge-milky-way’s-central-black-hole
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220513.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201009.html
  11. https://eventhorizontelescope.org/array
  12. https://eventhorizontelescope.org/organization
  13. https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/light/Lesson-1/Polarization
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A*
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/htmltest/rjn_bht.html
  16. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1993AmJPh..61..619N/abstract
  17. https://eventhorizontelescope.org/science
  18. https://i.imgflip.com/6wndv2.png
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200825.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230919.html
  21. https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/where-when/
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240331.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  28. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  31. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240401
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240402.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  41. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  44. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  45. http://www.mtu.edu/