Mammoth black hole found at heart of Milky Way

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Mammoth black hole found at heart of Milky Way

3News NZ

Astronomers have confirmed that at the centre of the Milky Way is the biggest black hole in our entire galaxy.

It's four million times heavier than the sun so dense that even light can't escape its huge gravitational pull.

The black hole has been suspected for some time but is hidden behind enormous clouds of interstellar dust in our galaxy.

Now astronomers using giant European telescopes have confirmed that the mammoth black hole exists.

It is estimated to be four million times the weight of the sun and is located 27,000 light-years away.

Astronomers made the discovery by tracking the movement of 28 stars around the centre of the galaxy.
 
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6/05/2011 9:47:44 p.m.

dave wrote:

So what does that means !!!! Is our star (earth) going to be swallowed by this black hole - which means the so-called end times of 2012 (according to the Mayans)has arrived and this is part of the apocalypse. Up to date at least for the last 3 years we have seen some signs which remind me very strongly about the truth of it.

Just waiting to see how this year (2001) after the Japan earthquake and Tsunami, is going to play out !!!! Some big and ugly surprises coming our way as the earth moving very fast to the centre of the milky way. - An increase in earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and other natural disasters with apocalyptic and cataclismic consequences .....

6/05/2011 9:45:29 p.m.

dave wrote:

So what does that means !!!! Is our star (earth) going to be swallowed by this black hole - which means the so-called end times of 2012 (according to the Mayans)has arrived and this is part of the apocalypse. Up to date at least for the last 3 years we have seen some signs which remind me very strongly about the truth of it.

Just waiting to see how this year (2001) after the Japan earthquake and Tsunami, is going to play out !!!! Some big and ugly surprises coming our way as the earth moving very fast to the centre of the milky way. - An increase in earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and other natural disasters with apocalyptic and cataclismic consequences .....

12/12/2008 1:59:22 p.m.

Jim wrote:

What they mean, is that its not the only black hole in our glalaxy.

12/12/2008 1:20:50 p.m.

Luke wrote:

Yeah, that makes sense Darroch. Just imagine that there are several apple trees in your backyard and therefore it being noteworthy that the largest one happens to be in the centre.

12/12/2008 8:32:10 a.m.

Darroch wrote:

"...at the centre of the Milky Way is the biggest black hole in our entire galaxy." What? The Milky Way is our entire galaxy. Its like saying, "...in the centre of my lawn is the biggest apple tree in my entire backyard..."