Related papers: Sgr A* ``Visual Binaries'': A Direct Measurement o…
We present a 0.16% precise and 0.27% accurate determination of R0, the distance to the Galactic Center. Our measurement uses the star S2 on its 16-year orbit around the massive black hole Sgr A* that we followed astrometrically and…
The distance to the Galactic center $R_0$ is a fundamental parameter for understanding the Milky Way, because all observations of our Galaxy are made from our heliocentric reference point. The uncertainty in $R_0$ limits our knowledge of…
Eisenhauer et al. (2003, 2005) derived absolute (geometrical) estimates of the distanceto the center of the Galaxy, $R_0$, from the star S2 orbit around Sgr A* on the assumption that the intrinsic velocity of Sgr A* is negligible. This…
A new approach to determining the solar galactocentric distance, $R_0$, from the geometry of spiral-arm segments is proposed. Geometric aspects of the problem are analyzed and a simplified three-point method for estimating $R_0$ from…
Using 25 years of data from uninterrupted monitoring of stellar orbits in the Galactic Center, we present an update of the main results from this unique data set: A measurement of mass of and distance to SgrA*. Our progress is not only due…
We report new astrometric and spectroscopic observations of the star S2 orbiting the massive black hole in the Galactic Center, which were taken at the ESO VLT with the adaptive optics assisted, near-IR camera NAOS/CONICA and the near-IR…
Precision measurements of the stars in short-period orbits around the supermassive black hole at the Galactic Center are now being used to constrain general relativistic effects, such as the gravitational redshift and periapse precession.…
We present new, more precise measurements of the mass and distance of our Galaxy's central supermassive black hole, Sgr A*. These results stem from a new analysis that more than doubles the time baseline for astrometry of faint stars…
The growing ``Hubble tension'' has prompted the need for precise measurements of cosmological distances. This paper demonstrates a purely geometric approach for determining the distance to extragalactic binaries through a joint analysis of…
We present the results of 16 years of monitoring stellar orbits around the massive black hole in center of the Milky Way using high resolution NIR techniques. This work refines our previous analysis mainly by greatly improving the…
This work presents the results from extending the long-term monitoring program of stellar motions within the Galactic Center to include stars with separations of 2 - 7 arcseconds from the compact radio source, Sgr A*. In comparison to the…
We propose a method to determine the galactic constants R_0 (distance to the Galactic Center) and V_0 (rotation velocity of the Sun) from measurements of distances, radial velocities and proper motions of objects near the solar circle. This…
The S-star cluster in the Galactic center allows us to study the physics close to a supermassive black hole, including distinctive dynamical tests of general relativity. Our best estimates for the mass of and the distance to Sgr A* using…
On the basis of the near infrared observations of bulge red clump stars near the Galactic center, we have determined the galactocentric distance to be R_0 = 7.52 +- 0.10 (stat) +- 0.35 (sys) kpc. We observed the red clump stars at |l| < 1.0…
The Galactic bulge and bar are critical to our understanding of the Milky Way. However, due to the lack of reliable stellar distances, the structure and kinematics of the bulge/bar beyond the Galactic center have remained largely…
The hierarchical nature of galaxy formation suggests that a supermassive black hole binary could exist in our galactic center. We propose a new approach to constraining the possible orbital configuration of such a binary companion to the…
Near-infrared observations of stellar orbits at the Galactic Center provide conclusive evidence for a massive black hole associated with the compact radio source Sgr A*. The astrometric reference frame for these observations is tied to a…
We simulate the observations of proper motion of stars very close to the Galactic Center. We show that the speckle interferometry done with the Keck II telescope is accurate enough to obtain orbital parameters for stars with the period P…
With 10 years of high-resolution imaging data now available on the stellar cluster in the Galactic Center, we analyze the dynamics of the stars at projected distances $\leq1.2''$ from the central black hole candidate Sagittarius A* (Sgr…
We discuss the possibility of enhancing intelligent life searches toward the Galactic center. From the clockwork orbital motions of stars around the Sgr A${}^*$ black hole, we can determine the distance to the Galactic center at an…