[Special Issue News] The dark lab

Searching for the ultimate test of general relativity, researchers are looking toward the center of our galaxy. There, shrouded in dust, lurks a bright, compact source of radio waves known as Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*). Astronomers think that Sgr A* marks the dark heart of the Milky Way: a supermassive black hole weighing as much as 4 million suns. That black hole produces the most intense gravitational field in our galaxy and so provides a unique laboratory for testing the predictions of general relativity. Over the next few years, using a range of new instruments, astronomers are hoping to see whether Sgr A* is bending relativity beyond breaking point. Author: Daniel Clery
Source: Science: This Week - Category: Science Authors: Source Type: research