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How to Locate the Center of the Milky Way

The Milky Way, the spiral galaxy in which our solar system resides, is also home to billions of other stars, planets, gas and dust. The black hole in the center of the Milky Way was first put forth as a theory, but it was later verified thanks to an X-ray source discovered behind the constellation Sagittarius. The center of the Milky Way is called the Galactic Center, or bulge. How do astronomers, scientists and amateur stargazers locate the center of the Milky Way on a star chart? Software is one method. Another is using stars and constellations as a guide.

Things You'll Need

Star chart

Instructions

- 1
  Familiarize yourself with the Milky Way. Reading articles, Web sites and books will help you better understand the galaxy, including learning about the stars and constellations in the Galactic Center.
- 2
  Obtain a star chart of the Milky Way. You can get a star chart from astronomy magazines, astronomy groups and organizations or from the science department at a local college. Make sure this chart includes constellations.
- 3
  Locate the constellation Sagittarius. The Galactic Center of the Milky Way resides near this constellation. The constellation Sagittarius is near the constellation Scorpius. You will notice various other stars with the "Sagittarius" name.
- 4
  Study this region of stars until you find the most important one: Sagittarius A*. Sagittarius A* is a region of stars closest to the Galactic Center of the Milky Way. You will not be able to see the Galactic Center itself but you will get a better idea of what this area looks like.

Astronomy