News in Brief Astronomy

Magnetic field of black hole measured

Pulsar near Milky Way’s center makes first assessment of this type possible

MAGNETIC STRENGTH  The pulsar PSR J1745–2900 (left) sends out a beam of radiation in this illustration. By analyzing radio waves from the  pulsar that passed through the galactic center, astronomers determined the strength of the magnetic field surrounding the Milky Way's supermassive black hole (right).

Ralph Eatough/MPIfR

By Andrew Grant

- More than 2 years ago

The fortuitous discovery of a stellar beacon near the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way has provided astronomers with the first direct measurement of the magnetic field surrounding a black hole.