The Black Hole and Its Effects on Our Galaxy

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This could tell us more about our galaxy as well and how things obit. Most galaxies are known to have such a supermassive black hold at their centre. And we know from observing many other galaxies that these black holes, they play a crucial role in the evolution of the galaxy itself. They can undergo periods where they engorge themselves with matter at a very high rate. So it would be interesting to go back in the history of our own galaxy and see how the black hole might have effected it. We're still in the early stages of this new kind of astronomy. Beyond this, we can see many more images like this in the future.

00:47 The mystery of the missing dark matter

Dark matter makes up most of the matter in the Universe, and is thought to be needed for galaxies to form. But four years ago, astronomers made a perplexing, and controversial discovery: two galaxies seemingly devoid of dark matter. This week the team suggests that a cosmic collision may explain how these, and a string of other dark-matter-free galaxies, could have formed.

Research article: van Dokkum et al.

News and Views: Giant collision created galaxies devoid of dark matter

08:39 Research Highlights

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Research Highlight: Helium levels in the atmosphere are ballooning

Research Highlight: Flower power: ‘Sunflower’ system churns out useful energy

10:49 Researchers experiences of the war in Ukraine

We hear the stories of scientists whose lives have been affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including researchers who have become refugees, soldiers and activists in the face of a horrifying conflict.

Nature Feature: How three Ukrainian scientists are surviving Russia’s brutal war

20:46 Imaging the black hole at the centre of the Milky Way

Last week, a team of researchers released an image of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive blackhole at the centre of our galaxy. We hear how they took the image and what it is revealing about these enormous objects.

Nature News: Black hole at the centre of our Galaxy imaged for the first time

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