In an illustration of the Milky Way galaxy, the center should feature a supermassive black hole, known as Sagittarius A* (pronounced Sagittarius A-star). This massive object has a mass equivalent to about 4 million times that of our Sun and is located about 26,000 light-years from the Solar System. It is the dynamical center around which the galaxy rotates.
Additionally, the region around Sagittarius A* is densely packed with stars, gas, and dust, forming what is known as the Galactic Center or the Central Bulge. There may also be a number of smaller black holes and other celestial objects in the vicinity.
In the illustration, it's also important to depict the other structural components of the Milky Way galaxy, such as:
1. The Galactic Disk: Where most of the galaxy's stars, including the Sun, are located. The disk includes spiral arms made of star-forming regions, clusters, and interstellar gas and dust.
2. The Galactic Bulge: A central concentration of stars, which is elongated and bar-shaped when viewed from within the plane of the galaxy.
3. The Halo: A roughly spherical distribution of stars and globular clusters orbiting the galactic core, as well as dark matter.
Given that we reside within the Milky Way and cannot directly image its full structure, our illustrations are based on observations of our galaxy from within, as well as comparisons to other galaxies that we can view externally. As such, all illustrations are somewhat speculative and our understanding of the galaxy's appearance continues to evolve with ongoing astronomical research.
A student creates an illustration of the Milky Way galaxy. What should be placed at the center of the Milkey Way galaxy on the illustration
1 answer