The centre of the Milky Way*
The central parts of our Galaxy, the Milky Way, as observed in the near-infrared with the NACO instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope. By following the motions of the most central stars over more than 16 years, astronomers were able to determine the mass of the supermassive black hole that lurks there.
Credit:ESO/S. Gillessen et al.
About the Image
| Id: | eso0846a |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 10 December 2008 |
| Related releases: | eso2017, eso1835, eso0846 |
| Size: | 900 x 900 px |
About the Object
| Name: | Galactic Centre |
| Type: | Milky Way : Galaxy : Component : Center/Core |
| Distance: | 25000 light years |
| Constellation: | Sagittarius |
| Category: | Galaxies |
Wallpapers
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 17 45 40.09 |
| Position (Dec): | -29° 0' 23.56" |
| Field of view: | 0.41 x 0.41 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 0.3° right of vertical |
View in WorldWide Telescope:
Colours & filters
| Band | Telescope |
|---|---|
| Infrared K | Very Large Telescope NACO |
| Infrared H | Very Large Telescope NACO |
| Infrared I | Very Large Telescope NACO |