{"id":14730,"date":"2017-08-09T06:00:47","date_gmt":"2017-08-09T10:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=14730"},"modified":"2017-08-09T14:33:00","modified_gmt":"2017-08-09T18:33:00","slug":"eso-stars-orbiting-supermassive-black-hole-at-center-of-milky-way-show-relativity-effects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=14730","title":{"rendered":"ESO: Tracking stars around the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Latest ESO<\/a>\u00a0(European Southern Observatory) report:<\/p>\n

Hint of Relativity Effects in Stars Orbiting Supermassive Black Hole at Centre of Galaxy<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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This artist’s impression shows the orbits of three of the stars very close to the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way. Analysis of data from ESO\u2019s Very Large Telescope and other telescopes suggests that the orbits of these stars may show the subtle effects predicted by Einstein\u2019s general theory of relativity. There are hints that the orbit of the star called S2 is deviating slightly from the path calculated using classical physics.. The position of the supermassive black hole is marked with a white circle with a blue halo. [Larger images<\/a>]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>A new analysis of data from ESO\u2019s Very Large Telescope and other telescopes suggests that the orbits of stars around the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way may show the subtle effects predicted by Einstein\u2019s general theory of relativity. There are hints that the orbit of the star S2 is deviating slightly from the path calculated using classical physics. This tantalising result is a prelude to much more precise measurements and tests of relativity that will be made using the GRAVITY instrument as star S2 passes very close to the black hole in 2018.<\/p>\n

At the centre of the Milky Way, 26 000 light-years from Earth, lies the closest\u00a0supermassive black hole<\/a>, which has a mass four million times that of the Sun. This monster is surrounded by a small group of stars orbiting at high speed in the black hole\u2019s very strong gravitational field. It is a perfect environment in which to test gravitational physics, and particularly Einstein\u2019s general\u00a0theory of relativity<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A team of German and Czech astronomers have now applied new analysis techniques to the very rich set of existing observations of the stars orbiting the black hole, accumulated using\u00a0ESO\u2019s Very Large Telescope<\/a>\u00a0(VLT) in Chile and others over the last twenty years\u00a0[1]<\/a>. They compare the measured star orbits to predictions made using classical\u00a0Newtonian gravity<\/a>\u00a0as well as predictions from general relativity.<\/p>\n

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This artist’s impression shows part of the orbit of one of the stars very close to the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way. Analysis of data from ESO\u2019s Very Large Telescope and other telescopes suggests that the orbits of these stars may show the subtle effects predicted by Einstein\u2019s general theory of relativity. There are hints that the orbit of this star, called S2, is deviating slightly from the path calculated using classical physics. This close-up of the orbit of star S2 shows how the path of the star is slightly different when it passed the same part of its orbit for the second time, 15 years later, due to the effects of general relativity. [Larger images.<\/a>]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The team found suggestions of a small change in the motion of one of the stars, known as S2, that is consistent with the predictions of general relativity\u00a0[2]<\/a>. The change due to relativistic effects amounts to only a few percent in the shape of the orbit, as well as only about one sixth of a degree in the orientation of the orbit\u00a0[3]<\/a>. If confirmed, this would be the first time that a measurement of the strength of the general relativistic effects has been achieved for stars orbiting a supermassive black hole.<\/p>\n