Name: The hunt for a supermassive black hole
Uploaded: 2009-12-02T08:42:00Z
Duration: 16 min 9 s
Description: With new data from the Keck telescopes, Andrea Ghez shows how state-of-the-art adaptive optics are helping astronomers understand our universe's most mysterious objects: black holes. She shares evidence that a supermassive black hole may be lurking at the center of the Milky Way.

With new data from the Keck telescopes, Andrea Ghez shows how state-of-the-art adaptive optics are helping astronomers understand our universe's most mysterious objects: black holes. She shares evidence that a supermassive black hole may be lurking at the center of the Milky Way.

Andrea Ghez: The hunt for a supermassive black hole

The hunt for a supermassive black hole

The hunt for a black hole at our galaxy's center reveals a supermassive entity, challenging our understanding of physics.

Stars orbiting a point of intense gravity at the galaxy's heart offer the best evidence for a supermassive black hole's existence.

Unexpectedly, young stars thrive near the galaxy's center, defying predictions and deepening the mystery of black holes.