At the center of our galaxy, in the immediate vicinity of its supermassive black hole, is a region wracked by powerful tidal forces and bathed in intense ultraviolet light and X-ray radiation. These harsh conditions, astronomers long surmised, do not favor star formation, especially low-mass stars like our sun.
New observations from the international astronomy facility ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) suggest otherwise, according to newly published findings, led by Northwestern University astronomer Farhad Yusef-Zadeh.
Continue to the full Northwestern News story.
View the paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Additional Coverage:
AAS Nova: “Forming Stars Near Our Supermassive Black Hole” by Susanna Kohler.
Sky & Telescope: “Infant Stars Huddle near Black Hole” by Camille Carlisle.
Cover photo credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), Yusef-Zadeh et al.; B.Saxton (NRAO/AUI/NSF)