Lead author Valentina Crespi said the dense dark matter core can mimic the 'shadow' seen in black hole images because it bends light strongly, creating a central darkness surrounded by a bright ring.
Notes on verification
Quote verified verbatim across multiple independent outlets including the Royal Astronomical Society's own press release, the study's publisher, confirming Crespi's authorship and statement.
Sources
- Scientists thought there was a black hole at the centre of our Galaxy. It turns out it may be something even stranger | BBC Sky at Night Magazine (skyatnightmagazine.com)
- https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/research-highlights/dark-matter-not-black-hole-could-power-milky-ways-heart (ras.ac.uk)
- https://www.sci.news/astronomy/milky-ways-compact-object-fermionic-dark-matter-14537.html (sci.news)
- https://earthsky.org/space/dark-matter-not-black-hole-at-core-milky-way/ (earthsky.org)
- https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-dense-clump-of-dark-matter-not-a-supermassive-black-hole-could-reside-in-the-milky-ways-center (universetoday.com)
- https://thedebrief.org/this-is-a-pivotal-point-astronomers-offer-new-evidence-of-dark-matter-lurking-at-the-heart-of-the-milky-way/ (thedebrief.org)