In particular the central parsec shows evidence for recent massive star formation, with many emission-line stars centered on the core of the central stellar cluster. Star formation at rates of 0.5 solar masses a year is occurring at many places within this central molecular zone, probably triggered by external events, such as shocks. This central molecular zone accounts for about 10% of the Galaxy's total molecular mass and has a high density and temperatures (30–200K).
The central region (with radius around 200 parsecs) is bright in radio and infrared continuum emission, particularly in lines of molecular CO and atomic C. Interstellar extinction obscures this region by up to 30 magnitudes at optical wavelengths and information on the very complex phenomena in the galactic center has been derived mainly from radio, infrared, and X-ray observations. Galactic center The innermost region of our Galaxy, or its exact center.
