Summary of Monster of the Milky Way

00:00:00 - 00:50:00

The video discusses the role of black holes in the universe, specifically in the center of the Milky Way. It explains how these black holes are created and how they consume matter and energy. It also discusses how they can have a profound impact on the growth and size of galaxies.

• 00:00:00 The video discusses the Swift satellite, which is on constant lookout for cosmic disasters, and the various cosmic phenomena it has spotted in deep space over the past few days. One such event was the eruption of a black hole, which sent dozens of people scrambling to get their camera ready. The black hole is said to be the "monster" of the universe, as it is the only thing that can survive encounters with black holes.
• 00:05:00 In 1966, a team led by Beckman observed the central stars of the Milky Way using infrared light, and found that they were shrouded in cosmic dust. This discovery led to the understanding that the most powerful telescopes could not see the stars in the galactic center, and that other forms of light can pass through the dust. In the 1960s, Beckman and a team of scientists attached an infrared detector to the end of a telescope to see through the dust. This discovery led to the understanding that the central stars of the Milky Way were located in the heart of the galaxy. Beckman was the first person to see the star in the core of our galaxy.
• 00:10:00 Sun's gravity warps space-time, creating "troughs" that smaller objects can fall into. Matter warps space-time so the very space the three-dimensional space we walk through works lightly, every warps in on me ever so slightly but because we're not very massive, it's so minuscule that we don't sense it. If an object is massive enough, like the Earth, it will warp space-time so we can sense it and fall towards it that's gravity. However, if an object is much more massive than the Earth or Sun in theory, it could warp the fabric so much it would create an actual hole in space-time. Once something fell in, it couldn't escape not even light itself, and it would curve and come back down just the way a toss the ball on Earth is not traveling fast enough. The space itself would fall inside the black hole, it's like a river falling over a waterfall. This place where the space starts moving faster than light, is called an "event horizon." Once something falls in, it's lost in a point of infinite density, and the matter goes inside the surface of the black hole, shrinking down to the very center where it gets destroyed. What happens deep
• 00:15:00 The video presents astronomers' efforts to find evidence of a black hole at the center of the Milky Way. Adaptive optics technology was used to correct the blurring effects of the atmosphere, allowing for a better view of the center of the galaxy. Using measurements of the motion of nearby stars, the black hole was determined to be supermassive and millions of miles wide. The evidence was impressive, and the astronomers admitted that they had no other explanation for what was at the center of the galaxy.
• 00:20:00 This video shows how a supermassive black hole might look, from the perspective of someone entering it. The viewer sees swirling light beams, a superheated gas rushing into orbit, and eventually, the viewer being stretched into two pieces and then spaghettified.
• 00:25:00 In this video, astronomers explain that the vast majority of galaxies have supermassive black holes at their centers. These black holes are created as the result of the gravitational forces of billions of stars combined over time. While the black hole at the center of our Milky Way is relatively large, it is not unique in this respect.
• 00:30:00 Brian McNamara studies the life cycles of galaxies and has found that they are cannibalistic, with the larger galaxies eating the smaller ones. He discovered that the energy involved comes from the center of the cannibalizing galaxy, a supermassive black hole.
• 00:35:00 This video discusses how the black holes at the center of galaxies have a profound influence on their surroundings. The black holes at the center of galaxies are often considered to be "gods dumpster," but they can have a significant impact on the growth and size of galaxies. By understanding how these black holes consume matter and energy, scientists can better understand their role in the universe.
• 00:40:00 The video begins with Denzel traveling to Chile to observe a star in flare mode. Gaz and Beckman are in Hawaii, trying to capture flares from the galactic center. Finally, on night 3, the German team captures an outburst from the black hole. They are able to measure the energy released, and are excited to have caught this rare event.
• 00:45:00 The "Monster of the Milky Way" is an active galaxy that is decaying into an old folks home. The Smithsonian team is using high frequency radio signals to study the galactic center. They've found evidence of a vast ring of matter that is gradually growing bigger and will eventually coagulate into a giant cloud, triggering a dramatic starburst event. What's left of the gas cloud will spiral down into the grasp of the black hole, which then rapidly spirals in and feeds the black hole in the Atlantic Center. The Milky Way will survive the black holes upcoming feast, but it's not likely to survive the threat further down the road.
• 00:50:00 Black holes play a major role in the evolution of the things that light up our night sky, and are a major player in the evolution of the galaxy.