The mass of the black hole at the center of our galaxy can be estimated using the ____ of a star orbiting it.
A)semi-major axis
B)orbital period
C)semi-major axis and orbital period
D)neither semi-major axis nor orbital period

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The mass of the black hole can be estimated using both the semi-major axis and the orbital period of a star orbiting it. By measuring the semi-major axis and the orbital period, scientists can calculate the speed of the star and the mass of the black hole using Kepler's laws of planetary motion and Newton's laws of gravity.

The Mass of the Black Hole at the Center of Our