Step into the center of the galaxy with NASA’s 360-degree visualization

Have you ever wanted to take a supermassive black hole’s view of the galaxy? Then you’re in luck. Researchers at NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have released a stunning, immersive video that let you view the Milky Way as if you were sitting right in the center of the galaxy.If you view the video on YouTube, you can see 360 degrees of beautiful galactic activity created from a combination of supercomputer simulations and data from Chandra. If you have a high-definition display, then fire it up, as the visualization is available in Ultra HD — up to 8K definition. Or if you’re on a smartphone, move the phone around to see different areas of the movie. And if you have a VR headset, then you’re in for a treat, as you can explore the visualizations in virtual reality. At the center of the galaxy sits a supermassive black hole creating enormous gravitational forces, and around which matter in the Milky Way rotates. The visualization shows the stellar giants which live nearby, in a region called Sagittarius A* located a few light-years away. These stellar giants create powerful winds which have a key role in star formation. They also push material like dust and gas toward the supermassive black hole, feeding it a steady supply of matter.