QUESTION IMAGE
Question
- how did scientists determine there was a black hole in the center of the milky way galaxy?
- observing stars orbiting around an invisible, massive object
- measuring high temperatures of nearby stars
- detecting strong radiowaves coming from the center of the galaxy
- directly photographing the black hole with a telescope
Scientists cannot directly observe black holes, so they use the gravitational effects of these massive objects. By tracking the orbits of stars near the Milky Way's center, they calculated the presence of an invisible, extremely massive object that fits the properties of a supermassive black hole. High star temperatures and radio waves indicate energetic activity but do not directly confirm a black hole, and direct photography of the Milky Way's central black hole came after its initial detection via stellar orbits.
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A. Observing stars orbiting around an invisible, massive object