These new images show X-ray data of the area around the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. New data from NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) are combined with other X-ray data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. The data provides evidence that this black hole – known as Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) – had an outburst about 200 years ago after devouring gas and dust within its reach. In addition, a new sonification of these data is being released, which translates these new X-ray data from IXPE and Chandra into sounds.
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