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S301 star discovered orbiting Milky Way black hole at record speed
Astronomers have discovered S301, the fastest known star in the Milky Way, orbiting the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* at the center of our galaxy. The star reaches peak speeds of approximately 25,000 kilometers per second, which is about 8% of the speed of light.
Using the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) and the GRAVITY+ instrument at the European Southern Observatory in Chile, an international research team led by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics identified the star. S301 completes a full orbit in just 8.7 years and passes closer to the black hole than any previously observed star, at a distance comparable to the orbit of Saturn from the Sun.
This proximity allows scientists to study the effects of the black hole's rotation on surrounding objects. Researchers hope that by tracking S301's extreme orbit over the next decade, they can achieve the first direct measurement of the spin of Sagittarius A*, testing Einstein's general theory of relativity in an extreme gravitational environment.
Entities
European Southern Observatory · Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics · Milky Way · S301 · Sagittarius A* · Sagittarius A* · Very Large Telescope · Very Large Telescope Interferometer
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Astronomers have discovered S301, the fastest star observed orbiting the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* in the Milky Way. www.1001web.fr · www.nouvelles-du-monde.com · www.numerama.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] S301 completes one full orbit around Sagittarius A* in approximately 8.7 years. www.1001web.fr · www.nouvelles-du-monde.com · www.numerama.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The discovery was made using the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) and the GRAVITY+ instrument in Chile. www.nouvelles-du-monde.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] At its closest point, the star reaches a distance of about 11.5 astronomical units from the black hole, similar to Saturn's distance from the Sun. www.1001web.fr · www.nouvelles-du-monde.com · www.numerama.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The star S301 travels at a speed of 25,000 kilometers per second, approximately 8% of the speed of light. www.1001web.fr · www.nouvelles-du-monde.com · www.numerama.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The proximity and speed of S301 provide a unique opportunity to measure the rotation of the Sagittarius A* black hole. www.1001web.fr · www.nouvelles-du-monde.com · www.numerama.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] S301 has an orbital period of 8.7 years. wochentlich.de · www.t-online.de
- [● 2 SOURCES] An international research team led by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics discovered the fastest known star in the Milky Way. wochentlich.de · www.t-online.de
- [● 2 SOURCES] S301 reaches speeds of approximately 25,000 kilometers per second at its closest approach, which is about 8% of the speed of light. wochentlich.de · www.t-online.de
- [● 2 SOURCES] The research findings were published in the journal Nature. wochentlich.de · www.t-online.de
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Astronomers intend to use S301's orbit to directly measure the spin of Sagittarius A*. www.it-boltwise.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] The star, designated S301, orbits the Milky Way's central black hole, Sagittarius A*. wochentlich.de · www.it-boltwise.de · www.t-online.de