Galactic structure · ~26,000 ly away
The Galactic Centre
The crowded, dust-shrouded core of the Milky Way, about 26,000 light-years away, home to a dense star cluster and the four-million-solar-mass black hole Sagittarius A*. Hidden at optical wavelengths, it is studied in radio, infrared, and X-rays, and its stars' orbits weigh the central black hole directly.
Highlights
- ›Home to Sagittarius A*
Galaxy, objects & concepts
Across the Galaxy
Knowledge connections
- Associated withThe Galactic Bulge
- Associated withSagittarius A*
- Associated withThe Milky Way
- Associated withThe Central Molecular Zone
- Associated withThe Central Molecular Zone
- Associated withMilky Way Explorer
- Associated withThe Milky Way
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.