Researchers have detected what they describe as the fastest known star in the Milky Way galaxy, designated S301. The star travels at approximately 25,000 kilometers per second, a velocity roughly 100,000 times greater than that of commercial aircraft. The discovery marks a significant development in observational astronomy, as S301 also represents the closest known star to Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole located at the galactic center.
The orbital characteristics of S301 are particularly notable from a scientific perspective. The star completes an orbit around Sagittarius A* in just 8.7 years while maintaining a distance of approximately 12 times the Earth-Sun distance at its closest approach. Felix Mang, a PhD student at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany and an author of the findings, noted that this combination of orbital parameters is unprecedented. The study, published in the journal Nature, suggests that S301’s trajectory offers researchers an unprecedented opportunity to study the immediate environment surrounding the black hole.
According to Einstein’s general theory of relativity, rotating black holes warp the spacetime around them, affecting the orbits of nearby celestial objects. The peculiar orbital characteristics of S301, including its highly eccentric path and tight proximity, may allow scientists to directly measure the spin of Sagittarius A* for the first time. Senior scientist Stefan Gillessen of the Max Planck Institute indicated that such a measurement would represent a crucial test of Einstein’s theoretical predictions. Previous research had suggested that determining the black hole’s spin would require observing multiple stars over several decades.
The observations were conducted using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer located at Paranal Observatory in Chile, an instrument that combines light from four 8-meter telescopes. Scientists have traced S301’s orbital data back to 2017 and plan to collect additional measurements through its next closest approach in 2031, potentially yielding sufficient data within the next decade. Despite its extreme proximity to the black hole, S301 is not anticipated to cross the event horizon. Astrophysicist Ziri Younsi from University College London, who was not involved in the research, characterized the discovery as significant for advancing understanding of the Milky Way’s evolution.
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