It seems that astronomers were able to detect a group of new objects in the immediate vicinity of a supermassive black hole in the center of our Galaxy. Usually hidden from view in a curtain of gas and dust, these objects seem to be quite natural gas accumulations. However, new data from the Keck Observatory in Maunake, Hawaii suggest that this is not entirely true.
In fact, we are talking about strange gas and dust clouds called "G-objects". The hypothesis of their existence helps astrophysicists understand and bridge the evolutionary gap between compact stellar objects. As reported by the Keck Observatory, "G-objects look like gas clouds but behave like stars."
The first object of this type, named G1, was discovered in 2004, right next to the supermassive black hole that forms the center of the Milky Way.
In 2012, a second object was discovered, named G2.
Both objects very much confused astrophysicists, because being near such a grandiose mass as a supermassive black hole, these objects should have been torn to shreds. If this did not happen, the astronomers suggested, then there must be a colossal invisible star inside each of these objects.
Continuing to search for similar anomalies, astronomers have compiled a list of other potential G-objects, named G3, G4, and G5, respectively, because their physical characteristics are similar to objects G1 and G2.
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Further, by processing telescope data on a supercomputer, the behavior of these objects was analyzed over 12 years of observations. It is very different from the movement of other clouds and stars near the black hole:
The Keck Observatory reports that these G objects are likely the result of double stellar mergers caused by the gravitational influence of a giant black hole. As the observatory notes, after a long time, the black hole's gravity changes the orbits of the binaries until the duo collides.
“After such a merger, the resulting single object will inflate or stretch over a fairly long period of time, perhaps millions of years,” says Mark Morris, UCLA's principal co-researcher in a joint statement from the scientific group behind the discovery.
The main question that torments astrophysicists now is the following: what will happen when these giant objects come closer to the black hole? Will they remain intact or will they be absorbed? Will there be an explosion as a result of this absorption of unthinkable power?
“We will have to wait several decades for this to happen. It will be about 20 years for the G3 and another decade for the G4 and G5,”says Morris.
It is accurate to say that as a result of this collision of a G-object with a black hole, observations of similar objects in other galaxies closest to us could give. Or, at least observations of globular clusters in the Milky Way, inside each of which the existence of a massive black hole is assumed. However, such studies require completely different telescopes, so only their next generation, perhaps, will allow scientists to find a clue.