Webb reveals metal-rich gas around Milky Way's central black hole

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Add to Preferred Sources A swirling vortex of hot gas glows with infrared light, marking the approximate location of Sagittarius A. Credit: NASA, ESA, SSC, CXC, STScI The gas orbiting Sagittarius A (Sgr A*), the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, is rich in metals, researchers at McGill University's Trottier Space Institute have found. The metal enrichment probably resulted from stars that exploded and released material into the black hole's surroundings over time, they said.

The team also learned this gas is similar in composition to many of the stars in the black hole's orbit, suggesting the gas and stars may have formed together.