Chandra Release - February 8, 2012

Visual Description: Sagittarius A*

This 4-panel image and illustration combination depicts the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), as observed by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The main image on the left showcases the black hole's intense X-ray emissions, which are represented in different colors: red for low-energy X-rays, green for medium-energy X-rays, and blue for high-energy X-rays. A set of 3 artist's illustrations adjacent to the image, going down the left side, depict an asteroid's journey toward Sgr A*.  The series illustrates how it is torn apart by the black hole's tidal forces and vaporized by friction as it passes through the hot, thin gas, producing the observed flares.  At the center of the illustrations, the black hole appears as a small, deep black sphere, encircled by a glowing, turbulent disk of gas and dust rendered in bright oranges, reds, and yellows.  Scattered throughout the foreground and background are irregularly shaped rocky bodies, colored pale beige and textured with craggy surfaces, illustrating the debris that may be pulled toward the black hole. One asteroid is highlighted with a faint white trail, suggesting its motion as it is drawn toward the gravitational pull of Sgr A*. The dark black background enhances the vivid colors of the accretion disk and the stark forms of the asteroids, creating a striking sense of depth and cosmic scale.