
Milky Way's Central Black Hole Flared 200 Years Ago
A glowing molecular cloud shines today because of a 200-year-old flare let out by our galaxy’s supermassive black hole, scientists say.

Flares from the Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole
The supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way released an unusual number of strong flares in 2019. Now, astronomers are trying to figure out why.

The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle
Black Hole Scientists Win 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics
This year’s award goes to three researchers who played key roles in developing the theoretical and observational evidence for black holes.

Magnetism Rules in the Milky Way’s Core
Recent observations from the airborne SOFIA observatory show that magnetic fields — not gravity — govern the gas at the center of the Milky Way.

The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle
Black Hole Changes Star’s Orbit in Gravity Test
A long-awaited measurement indicates that a star whizzing around the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole has changed its trajectory.

The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle
Bubbles, Heated Clouds Point to Active Past for Galactic Center
Two studies support the suspicion that our galaxy’s black hole had one or more outbursts a few million years ago.

60-Second Astro News: Black Hole Hubbub
The Milky Way's black hole' flares unexpectedly, a distant black hole gets the hiccups, and a reanalysis of LIGO data shows the first detection of black hole "ringdown."

The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle
Galactic Center Gravity Test Confirmed
A second team of astronomers has now confirmed the light from a star passing near our galaxy’s central black hole behaved as predicted by Einstein’s theory of gravity.

Piercing the Veil of Our Black Hole
Astronomers have overcome the interference of clumpy interstellar gas to catch a glimpse of the gas around the Milky Way’s central black hole.

Gas Seen Moving Near the Event Horizon
Astronomers have detected three flares from near our galaxy’s central black hole that look like gas closely orbiting the unseen object.

Star Swings Around Black Hole, Tests Gravity
Astronomers have seen a star’s light redden as it passed our galaxy’s central black hole, just as general relativity predicts.

More Mystery Objects in the Galactic Center
Astronomers have discovered three more red, dusty objects near the Milky Way’s central black hole that could be merged stars.

Infant Stars Huddle near Black Hole
A team of astronomers has found signs of small stars forming within a few light-years of the Milky Way’s central black hole.

Milky Way’s Black Hole Is Throwing Cosmic Spitballs
Every now and then, the Milky Way’s central, supermassive black hole tears apart a star and flings away some of its innards. Now astronomers think they know how to spot these cosmic spitballs.

Is the Milky Way's Black Hole Feeding?
The answer is a tantalizing maybe. Astronomers are investigating whether an increase in the number of flares from Sgr A* are due to the recent close passage of a dusty object known as G2.

Best Evidence Yet That Black Holes Exist
A team of astronomers has found indirect evidence of a supermassive black hole’s event horizon, providing further proof that these wacky objects actually exist in nature.

G2 Survives Black Hole Pass
The gaseous object G2 has survived its swing around the Milky Way’s central supermassive black hole, but the questions of what it is and where it comes from remain unanswered.

A MAD New Way to Make Black Hole Jets
Newly published observations provide the first real evidence supporting a theory that tells us how black hole jets form.
Astronomers Discover Black Hole's Dieting Strategy
The Milky Way's central supermassive black hole eats only a fraction of the gas available to it. New X-ray observations suggest how the beast manages to stay so trim when faced with a feast.
New Pulsar Explores Heart of Milky Way
A pulsar discovered last April is helping astronomers measure the magnetic field surrounding our galaxy’s central black hole.