A bubble of hot gas has been detected swirling aroundSagittarius A * , thesupermassive disgraceful holeat the center of the Milky Way . Moving at a speed of around one - third the speed of illumination , the hot spot provides new insights into the type of environment that environ our domicile galaxy ’s black golf hole .

" We think we ’re looking at a blistering bubble of gas zipping around Sagittarius A * on an orbit similar in sizing to that of the planet Mercury , but making a full loop in just around 70 mo , ” tell Maciek Wielgus of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in astatement .

“ This requires a mind blowing speed of about 30 percent of the speed of luminosity , " continues Wielgus , who has co - author a new field of study depict the discovery .

Such an observation comes off the back of theEvent Horizon Telescope collaboration , which get together eight radio telescopes from around the world to reveal thefirst - ever picture of Sagittarius A*earlier this year . The hot spot was detected when uranologist break down information from one of these telescope in closing off – namely , the Atacama Large Millimeter / submillimeter Array ( ALMA ) , located in the Atacama Desert in Chile .

While recording data in April 2017 , ALMA happened to notice a flare pass emitted from the galactic eye . Such flare are thought to arise from the magnetic interaction do by pockets of hot petrol revolve very close to disastrous holes at incredible upper .

However , confirmation of this theory has proved tricky – flares like this have antecedently only been observe by ecstasy - irradiation and infrared telescope . ALMA , on the other manus , can observe polarized wireless emanation , thus enabling astronomers to study the magnetic field around Sagittarius A * .

" What is really new and interesting is that such flash were so far only intelligibly present in 10 - ray and infrared observations of Sagittarius A * , " says Wielgus . " Here we see for the first meter a very strong indication that orbiting spicy spots are also present in radio observations . "

Summarizing the significance of this observance , carbon monoxide gas - author Monika Mościbrodzka explained that " we find potent evidence for a magnetised descent of these flares and our notice give us a clue about the geometry of the outgrowth . ”

For instance , depth psychology indicated that the house of cards of hot gas sits within a boil disk of stuff that swirls around the black hole in a clockwise direction . This , in turn , provides newfangled hint as to the flesh and motion of the charismatic field around Sagittarius A * .

While these determination bring us a step closer to understand the bizarreness that lurks in the center of our extragalactic nebula , more elaborate observations of future flares will be ask to demystify the black hole ’s surroundings .

" Hopefully , one day , we will be comfortable say that we ' know ' what is fail on in Sagittarius A * , " aver Wielgus .

The survey was published in the journalAstronomy & Astrophysics .