Can we find planets at the centre of a galaxy?
Can planets withstand the violence at the centre of a galaxy?
A galaxy’s centre is often a violent place. Image Credit: NASA
Asked by Ben Lankton
In theory, there is nothing stopping planets being formed in the centre of a galaxy but, in practice, their formation is quite tricky since the core of these giants are violent places.
It’s thought the centre of the majority of galaxies contain a supermassive black hole. This results in some radical dynamics. Evidence of protoplanetary discs has been found in our own Milky Way but often any encounter with the chaos that occurs at its centre results in these discs being shredded. So, while unlikely, there is always a chance that one has been lucky and found an island of stability within the maelstrom.
Answered by Josh Barker from the National Space Centre
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