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An ellipsoidal mass of stars and interstellar matter that occupies the central regions of a spiral galaxy.
In our own Galaxy, it is some 30,000 light years across,
and is occupied primarily by older orange and red
stars. There is evidence to suggest that a massive black hole lies in its
central regions, and indeed this may be a common feature of spiral galaxies in general.
If the Galactic Nucleus was visible from Earth, it would appear as a narrow ellipse stretching over some 42° between Ophiuchus and Scorpius. The central point of the Nucleus lies in Sagittarius, beyond the faint star 3 Sagittarii.
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