In a groundbreaking discovery, astronomers have revealed the presence of powerful magnetic fields swirling around the black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. The European Southern Observatory announced this finding, stating that a new image from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) has shown a ring of magnetic fields surrounding the Sagittarius A* black hole in polarized light for the first time.
These magnetic fields are similar to those observed around the M87* black hole in the heart of the M87 Galaxy, leading scientists to believe that strong magnetic fields might be a common feature of all black holes. Sara Issaoun from Harvard’s Center for Astrophysics, who co-leads the project, described the magnetic fields near our Milky Way’s black hole as strong, twisted, and organized.
Scientists have been able to capture images of these magnetic fields in polarized light, which allows them to isolate magnetic field lines and provide insights into their structure and strength. Supermassive black holes found at the centers of galaxies possess masses that are millions and even billions of times greater than that of our Sun, with their origins remaining a mystery to scientists.
Despite being unable to directly observe these mysterious cosmic entities due to their intense gravitational pull, advancements in technology have made it possible to indirectly observe them through observing their halo of light produced by flowing matter and gases. The EHT captured this halo and provided key insights into their behavior.
Angelo Ricarte from Harvard’s Black Hole Initiative stated that by imaging polarized light from hot glowing gas near black holes, scientists can directly infer structures and strengths of these powerful magnetic fields surrounding these cosmic entities. Mariafelicia De Laurentis, an EHT deputy scientist and professor at Naples University Federico II added that strong magnetic fields observed around both M87* and Sagittarius A* may be a universal and fundamental feature of these systems.