Fireworks From a Black Hole Quiz

What is the name of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way?

• Andromeda A*

• Sagittarius A*

• Orion B*

• Cygnus X-1

How far is Sagittarius A* from Earth?

• 10,000 light-years

• 26,000 light-years

• 100,000 light-years

• 50,000 light-years

Which telescope was used to observe the black hole?

• Hubble Space Telescope

• Chandra X-ray Observatory

• James Webb Space Telescope

• Spitzer Space Telescope

What is the main cause of the flares from Sagittarius A*?

• Gravitational waves

• Interactions with its accretion disk

• Collisions with other stars

• Explosions within the black hole

How many big flares does the black hole produce daily?

• Seven to eight

• Five to six

• Three to four

• One to two

What is the purpose of observing the black hole for 24 hours straight?

• To detect gravitational waves

• To measure the temperature of the black hole

• To reduce noise and see features not visible before

• To capture a complete rotation of the black hole

What is the name of the camera used to collect data on Sagittarius A*?

• XRCam

• UVICam

• HRCam

• NIRCam

What is unique about the flares from Sagittarius A* according to Yusef-Zadeh?

• They are predictable and follow a pattern

• They are random and constantly changing

• They are the brightest in the universe

• They occur only once a year

What is the main challenge when observing weak flaring events?

• High temperatures

• Strong gravitational pull

• Competing with noise

• Lack of light

What does the future of space study look like according to the article?

• Dark and uncertain

• Bright and promising

• Limited and challenging

• Expensive and risky