The monster black hole at the center of our galaxy may be unleashing huge, gassy explosions — and now, astronomers think they’ve pinpointed the exact spot where that superheated gas is spilling into the Milky Way.
Acting like a gargantuan exhaust vent, the newly discovered feature is a bright region of X-ray energy that’s nearly 700 light-years from the galaxy’s supermassive black hole but linked to it by a long “chimney” of superhot gas.
According to new research accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal, this spray of X-rays results from hot, black-hole-driven gas traveling up the chimney and colliding with cooler gas in the surrounding environment at more than 2 million mph (3.2 million km/h), sending enormous shock waves rippling through the galaxy.
“Writer Fuel” is a series of cool real-world stories that might inspire your little writer heart. Check out our Writer Fuel page on the LimFic blog for more inspiration.
