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The centre of the Galaxy

Nature volume 301, pages 661–666 (1983)Cite this article

Abstract

The centre of a galaxy attracts attention, because of its unique location and often intense activity. It also poses two outstanding puzzles. The first concerns the source of the enormous power in the form of radiation and high velocity gas pouring out of the centres of some galaxies. Second is how galaxies formed at all after the randomizing blast of the big bang, and whether some unique massive objects at their centres may have played a part. The centre of our own Galaxy seems rather tame, in the past having relatively minor activity by comparison with some of the more spectacular galaxies. However, extraordinary conditions do exist, and there are suggestions that it has produced high velocity gas or transferred large amounts of momentum to material circulating around it. Furthermore, because it is our closest galactic centre, we study it in the most detail.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA

    C. H. Townes

  2. Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA

    J. H. Lacy

  3. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, Rijkuniversiteit te Groningen, The Netherlands

    T. R. Geballe

  4. United Kingdom Infrared Telescope, 900 Leilani Street, Hilo, Hawaii, 96720, USA

    T. R. Geballe

  5. NASA-Ames Research Center, MS 245-6, Code SSA, Moffett Field, California, 94035, USA

    D. J. Hollenbach

Authors
  1. C. H. Townes
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  2. J. H. Lacy
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  3. T. R. Geballe
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  4. D. J. Hollenbach
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Townes, C., Lacy, J., Geballe, T. et al. The centre of the Galaxy. Nature 301, 661–666 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/301661a0

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