Galactic Center

The Galactic Center was a supermassive black hole that existed at the center of the galaxy within the Deep Core. Like other black holes, it was identified as a star of class P. Its mass was estimated to be four million stellar masses, and all four hundred billion stars in the galaxy revolved around it. Antimatter, gas, and approximately thirty million densely packed stars closely surrounded the Galactic Center, though the latter was not within its immediate vicinity. While no living sentient had ever witnessed the Galactic Center firsthand, probe droids had been sent to observe it and confirmed its existence. Despite its actual location to the northeast of the Galactic Center on the galactic plane, the planet Coruscant was also commonly referred to as the center of the galaxy.
==Description==
A supermassive black hole of stellar class P, the Galactic Center was situated at the very center of the galaxy in the Deep Core and was the object around which all four hundred billion stars of the galaxy orbited. The immediate area around the black hole was devoid of stars, however, and instead had large amounts of gas spiraling into it. The Galactic Center's immediate vicinity also contained antimatter, while there were approximately thirty billion densely packed stars further out in the Deep Core. Its mass was estimated to be the equivalent to that of four million stars.
As a result of its proximity to the Galactic Center,Darksaber the planet Khomm's moonless sky was filled with numerous bright stars. Despite the Galactic Center being the true center-point of the galaxy, the planet Coruscant was frequently referred to as the galactic center and was even known as the center of the universe.Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption Expansion: Prima Official Game Guide The planet featured a spaceport known as the Galactic Center Spaceport,Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse and the Galactic Senate Medcenter—also on Coruscant—was sometimes referred to as the Galactic Center Medcenter. Coruscant had the XYZ-format galactic coordinates of 0,0,0—despite its position slightly northwest and above the plane of ecliptic with respect to the true Galactic Center. This discrepancy frustrated astrocartographers for millennia.
==History==
===Before civil war===
Around 995 BBY,The section of Darth Bane: Rule of Two that included Darth Bane's research for creating a Sith holocron occurs approximately fifteen years after the founding of the Brotherhood of Darkness, which The Essential Guide to Warfare dates to 1010 BBY. As such, the events of that section must have occurred around 995 BBY. the Sith Lord Darth Bane noted that his Infiltrator-series long-range fighter Mystic would become his "coffin" floating around the Galactic Center if his hyperspace journey into the Deep Core failed.Darth Bane: Rule of Two In 32 BBY,The Essential Reader's Companion places the events of Star Wars Episode I Journal: Anakin Skywalker in 32 BBY. the youngling Anakin Skywalker referred to Coruscant as the center of the galaxy in his journal.
At some point, the existence of the Galactic Center was confirmed through the use of probe droids, though it was never observed by any sentient beings firsthand. During a class held at the Baobab Merchant Marine Academy in the Imperial Period, Instructor Crix Q5 Baobab once lectured their students on the Galactic Center, informing them of its mass, status as the galaxy's center, and its discovery by probe droids. Baobab also remarked that an individual from the Core Worlds might falsely claim that the galaxy revolved around the planet Coruscant instead of the Galactic Center.
===The Galactic Empire===
Snillik was a thick liqueur that was produced near the Galactic CenterLando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon by 2 BBY.The Essential Reader's Companion places the events of The Lando Calrissian Adventures, which includes Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu and Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon, to between 3 BBY and 2 BBY. After an artifact of early spaceflight collided with the light freighter Millennium Falcon in the orbit of the planet Rafa VLando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu at some point between 3 BBY and 2 BBY, the freighter's captain, the gambler Lando Calrissian, made an exclamation with reference to the Galactic Center.
In 1 BBY, Doctor Insmot Bowen speculated that the Celestials—immortal entities of the ForceFate of the Jedi: Apocalypse—created the galaxy's circumferential hyperspace barrier by manipulating energy drawn from the Galactic Center. Around 0 BBY,The Essential Reader's Companion establishes that the events of Rebel Dawn take place from 2 BBY to 0 BBY. The Essential Reader's Companion also establishes that the events of The Paradise Snare take place around 10 BBY, which includes the first meeting between Han Solo and Bria Tharen. In Rebel Dawn, Tharen mentions it has been ten years since she and Solo met in the same conversation Lando Calrissian mentions the Galactic Center. As such, that conversation must have occurred around 0 BBY. Calrissian quipped to the Rebel Alliance operative Bria Tharen that the black hole consumed time itself. After the smuggler Han Solo, who by then had become captain of the Millennium Falcon, claimed that the starship could make point five factors beyond lightspeed when farmhand Luke Skywalker first saw the vesselStar Wars: A New Hope novelization in 0 BBY,The New Essential Chronology dates the first meeting between Han Solo and Luke Skywalker to 0 BBY. Skywalker thought to himself that Solo was possibly the biggest liar "on that side of the Galactic Center."
====After the Empire====
Following its presumed destruction during the Battle of the MawChampions of the Force in 11 ABY,The Essential Reader's Companion places the events of Champions of the Force in 11 ABY. the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Gorgon retreated toward the bright area of the galaxy surrounding the Galactic Center—bound for the Deep Core—to join Imperial forces based there. The invasion of the galaxy by the extra-galactic Yuuzhan Vong species took a sharp turn in course for the Galactic Center in 26 ABY when their forces set their sights on the planet Duro.The New Essential Chronology At some point between 35 ABY and 36 ABY,The Essential Reader's Companion places the events of Star Wars: The Dark Nest Trilogy, which includes Luke Skywalker's duel with Raynar Thul in Dark Nest III: The Swarm War to between 35 ABY and 36 ABY. Luke Skywalker fought in a duel with UnuThul, the leader of the Colony—an organization of the sentient insectoid Killik species. Skywalker, by then a Jedi Grand Master, used the Force during the duel to render himself nearly immovable, pondering the idea that not even the Galactic Center could falter him.Dark Nest III: The Swarm War The Galactic Center and its role and significance in history were recorded in a chronicle of galactic history written by the Historical Council of the Galactic Alliance and published in 36 ABY.
Around 137 ABY, bounty hunter Cade Skywalker threatened to jettison Jedi Master Celeste Morne into the Galactic Center if Sith Lord Karness Muur—who was exerting his will through a talisman on Morne's neck—did not stop mentally toying with the people present in an Imperial stronghold on the planetLegacy (2006) 28 Had Abbadon.
==Behind the scenes==
The Galactic Center was first mentioned in Alan Dean Foster's 1976 novelization of the 1977 original trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. The 2009 reference book The Essential Atlas placed the Galactic Center on the border between grid squares K-11 and L-11.
==Appearances==
*Darth Bane: Rule of Two 
*The Last Jedi 
*Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu 
*Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon 
*Rebel Dawn 
*Star Wars: A New Hope novelization 
*Champions of the Force 
*Darksaber 
*Young Jedi Knights: Shadow Academy 
*Dark Nest III: The Swarm War 
*Dark Nest III: The Swarm War abridged audiobook 
*Legacy (2006) 29 
==Sources==
*
*
*Coruscant and the Core Worlds
* 
*The New Essential Chronology
* 
*The Essential Atlas
*Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia
*
*The Official Star Wars Fact File Collector's Guide & Galaxy Chart
*Star Wars: Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook
==Notes and references==
Category:Black holes
Category:Deep Core stars