what is in the center of the milky way galaxy, a black hole or a bar of stars, how are they related?

Answer 1

cut and paste!

"It was only in the 1980s that astronomers began to suspect that the Milky Way is a barred spiral[11] rather than an ordinary spiral, which observations in 2005 with the Spitzer Space Telescope have since confirmed, showing that the Galaxy's central bar is larger than previously suspected.[12] This argues for a classification of type SBbc (loosely wound barred spiral). In 1970 Gérard de Vaucouleurs predicted that the Milky Way was of type SAB(rs)bc, where the "rs" indicates a broken ring structure around the core region.[13]"

Answer 2

We cannot see the center of our galaxy. There are too many stars in that direction. We can see the centers of many galaxies (when a rotation axis is towards us).

As the black holes are black, we can see only some X rays coming from the matter falling there, and also we can measure the gravitational pulling on the near stars. All the galaxies looks as having black holes in the center.

Answer 3

There is some recent evidence that the Milky Way is at least partially a barred spiral. However, there is even more evidence that there is a black hole at the center. No reason why there cannot be both.

Added: These two observations are not related, except by location.

Answer 4

Well there is believed to be a super-massive black hole in the center. If by "bar of stars" you mean a cluster of them then that is also true because there are a huge number of stars being pulled in close to the black hole due to its immense gravity.

Answer 5

At the heart of our galaxy lies a super-massive black hole. Have no idea what a 'bar of stars' is.