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Sagittarius A East:
Scientists Discover Supernova May Control Activity in the Center of Our Galaxy
This Chandra X-ray image shows the relationship between
the black hole Sagittarius A* and the supernova remnant
Sagittarius A East, both of which are located in the
center of our galaxy in the constellation Sagittarius.
For the first time, astronomers using Chandra were able
to separate the supernova remnant, Sgr A East, from
other complex structures in the center of the Milky
Way. The emission from the supernova remnant Sgr A East
is depicted by the bright yellow and orange tones in
the middle of this image. From the Chandra image,
scientists can clearly see that Sgr A East surrounds
Sgr A*, the Milky Way's central black hole found near
the white dots in the lower-right portion of the
central object.
With Chandra, astronomers found hot gas concentrated
within the larger radio shell of Sgr A East. The gas is
highly enriched by heavy elements, with four times more
calcium and iron than the Sun, and that confirms
earlier suspicions that Sgr A East is most likely a
remnant of a supernova explosion. While dozens of
supernova remnants are known in our galaxy, the
proximity of Sgr A East to the black hole in the center
of our galaxy makes it important. By detailing the
association between Sgr A East and Sgr A*, astronomers
hope to learn if this is an example of a common
relationship between supernovas and black holes
throughout the universe.
| Fast Facts for Sagittarius A East: |
| Credit |
NASA/Penn State/G.Garmire et al. |
| Scale |
Image is 8.4 arcmin on a side. |
| Category |
Supernovas & Supernova Remnants, Milky Way Galaxy |
| Coordinates (J2000) |
RA 17h 45m 40.00s | Dec -29° 00' 20.00 |
| Constellation |
Sagittarius |
| Observation Dates |
September 21, 1999
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| Observation Time |
13 hours |
| Obs. IDs |
242
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| Color Code |
Intensity |
| Instrument |
ACIS |
| Distance Estimate |
Nearly 25,000 light years |
| Release Date |
February 01, 2001 |
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