Astronomers have recently discovered powerful magnetic fields swirling around the black hole located at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. This discovery was made by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) after analyzing a new image captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) that revealed a ring of magnetic fields surrounding the Sagittarius A* black hole in polarized light for the first time.
These magnetic fields are similar to those observed around the M87* black hole in the heart of the M87 Galaxy, leading scientists to believe that strong magnetic fields might be a common feature of all black holes. Sara Issaoun from Harvard’s Center for Astrophysics, who led this project, described these magnetic fields as strong, twisted and organized.
Images captured in polarized light allow astronomers to isolate magnetic field lines, providing insights into their structure and strength. Supermassive black holes found at the centers of galaxies have masses that are millions and even billions of times greater than that of our sun, with their origins remaining a mystery to scientists.
Although nothing can escape from the gravitational pull of black holes, advancements in technology have allowed us to indirectly observe them. The EHT captured the halo of light produced by the flow of matter and gases that these cosmic entities attract and expel, providing key insights into their behavior.
Angelo Ricarte from Harvard’s Black Hole Initiative and co-leader on this project stated that imaging polarized light from hot glowing gas near black holes can directly infer their structures and strengths of magnetic fields surrounding them. Mariafelicia De Laurentis, EHT’s deputy scientist and professor at Naples University Federico II noted that strong magnetic fields observed around both M87* and Sagittarius A* may be a universal feature in these systems.
