NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory presents a black hole primer

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Chandra X-ray Observatory was launched into space in 1999. Since then it has observed the center of the Milky Way Galaxy many times. 

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What it has found is no less than revolutionary.

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Chandra has found a supermassive black hole weighing about 4 million times the mass of our Sun at the center of our Galaxy.

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Astronomers call this black hole 'Sagittarius A*' or “Saj A-star” for short.

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Sgr A* sits in a complex and dynamic environment surrounded by stars, hot gas, supernova remnants and more.

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The Milky Way's center sits some 26,000 light years from Earth.

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This space remained mysterious, because gas and dust block most visible light along our line of sight.

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Fortunately, X-ray telescopes, like NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, can detect higher-energy radiation that penetrates this veil of galactic debris.

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And this has led to findings like those of 'Sagittarius A*'.

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Among the interesting things Chandra has seen are flares, or outbursts in X-Ray light from the Milky Way's giant black hole.