In the 1980's when high resolution radio telescopes (VLA) first took very detailed observations of the Galactic Center, we were amazed to find evidence of a violent, recent past, with high velocity gas spewing out of the core, the remnants of an explosion in the center only 100,000 years ago.
In the last 10 years we have discovered very good evidence for the presence of a supermasssive black hole in the core, 3 million times the mass of our sun.
So our Galaxy joins the Supermassive Black Hole Club! Is the solar system in danger? Will the supermassive black hole pull us in eventually? Heck, no! Remember, Black Holes Don't Suck!
Valdosta State University presents four public planetarium shows a year. Check our web site to see what's coming up. Everyone's invited!
Acknowledgements
The astronomical images in this presentation came from many public sources, including the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Anglo-American Observatory, Very Large Array (NRAO), Kitt Peak Observatory (NOAO), NASA, and various other sources. Especially, thanks are due to R. Neimanoff for giving us permission to use his dramatic simulations of approaching a neutron star and a black hole.

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