Black hole found in Milky Way

The BBC reports the results of a sixteen-year study, which show conclusively not only that super massive black holes exist, but that in fact one resides at the center of our very own galaxy.

Not to worry, though. Rather than a ravinous monster, our four million solar mass black hole may be benign, even helpful according to one researcher quoted in the article.

According to Dr Robert Massy, of the Royal Astronomical Society, the results suggest that galaxies form around giant black holes in the way that a pearl forms around grit.

Dr Massy said: "Although we think of black holes as somehow threatening, in the sense that if you get too close to one you are in trouble, they may have had a role in helping galaxies to form - not just our own, but all galaxies.

It has long been suspected that black holes form the center of many if not most galaxies, and the idea that they aid in galaxy formation is not totally new either. This study solidifies these concepts, bringing home to us the reality that creation and destruction are inextricably intertwined.

Comment Link