Astronomers have captured a striking new image of a star named IRS 3, located just 0.55 light-years from Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. This environment is typically considered far too hostile for the delicate processes of star life, but new data shows something unexpected.
Researchers discovered traces of water within the dust envelope surrounding the star. IRS 3 is currently in its late-life stage, known as the asymptotic giant branch phase. In this state, the star sheds vast amounts of gas and dust into space, effectively seeding its surroundings with material. This process is common for aging stars, but finding evidence of it this close to a supermassive black hole is a first for the scientific community.
To map the structure, the team combined data from the James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera and Mid-infrared Instrument. The observations revealed a layered shell of silicate dust. The presence of oxygen-rich dust contradicts earlier studies that labeled the star as carbon-rich, offering a clearer picture of its chemical identity.
This discovery challenges the assumption that the extreme radiation near a galaxy's center prevents the survival of complex molecules. The ability of water to exist in this location provides fresh data on how stars behave in high-energy regions. The finding serves as a reminder that even in the most intense parts of our galaxy, stellar evolution continues to shape the cosmic environment.