Could Dark Matter Be the Real Heart of the Milky Way?
TL;DR
Astronomers are rethinking the Milky Way’s centre: the long-held view that a supermassive black hole (Sagittarius A*) sits at the heart may be challenged by a fermionic dark matter core that could explain the observed stellar motions and even mimic the black hole’s shadow. Distinguishing the scenarios hinges on precise orbital precession measurements, which future upgrades like GRAVITY+ and the Extremely Large Telescope (and next-gen EHT observations) could enable. If verified, the idea would reshape galactic dynamics and dark matter physics, forcing a rethink of how galaxies host and regulate their centres.
- Scientists thought they knew what's lurking at the centre of our Galaxy. But they may have been completely wrong this whole time BBC Sky at Night Magazine
- In 2022 the Event Horizon Telescope revealed the first image of the monster at our galaxy's center, Sagittarius A* — a black hole 4 million times the Sun's mass, sitting quietly 27,000 light-years away the whole time Space Daily
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Read on BBC Sky at Night Magazine