Question

Astronomers have observed a small, massive object at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. A ring of material orbits this massive object; the ring has a diameter of about 15 light years and an orbital speed of about 140 km/s .

A: Determine the mass of the massive object at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Give your answer in kilograms.

B: Give your answer in solar masses (one solar mass is the mass of the sun).

C: Observations of stars, as well as theories of the structure of stars, suggest that it is impossible for a single star to have a mass of more than about 50 solar masses. Can this massive object be a single, ordinary star?

D: Many astronomers believe that the massive object at the center of the Milky Way galaxy is a black hole. If so, what must the Schwarzschild radius of this black hole be?

Answer 1