Image: A simulation of how a gas cloud that has been observed approaching the supermassive black hole at the centre of the galaxy

Size of this preview: 800 × 450 pixels. Other resolutions: 320 × 180 pixels | 4,000 × 2,250 pixels.

Original image ‎(4,000 × 2,250 pixels, file size: 4.52 MB, MIME type: image/jpeg)

Description: This view shows a simulation of how a gas cloud that has been observed approaching the supermassive black hole at the centre of the galaxy may break apart over the next few years. This is the first time ever that the approach of such a doomed cloud to a supermassive black hole has been observed and it is expected to break up completely during 2013. The remains of the gas cloud are shown in red and yellow, with the cloud's orbit marked in red. The stars orbiting the black hole are also shown along with blue lines marking their orbits. This view simulates the expected positions of the stars and gas cloud in the year 2021.
Title: A simulation of how a gas cloud that has been observed approaching the supermassive black hole at the centre of the galaxy
Credit: http://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1151a/
Author: ESO/MPE/Marc Schartmann
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
License: CC BY 4.0
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Attribution Required?: Yes

Image usage

The following 2 pages link to this image:

All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise.