3 June 2013 - Sagittarius A*

The black hole at the center of the Milky Way is exotic and intriguing, so it ought to have an interesting name. But no, it’s just “a star”. Well, technically it’s “Sagittarius A*”, but you know how to read that. So let me explain: “Sagittarius” is a perfect name, because a black hole is like a goat—it eats anything. And it’s a star because that’s what there is to eat.