Astronomers have identified the fastest star ever recorded in the Milky Way. The star, designated S301, orbits Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. At its closest point, the star travels at 15,500 miles per second, which is more than 8% the speed of light.
This discovery comes from researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics. The team utilized the GRAVITY instrument on the Very Large Telescope Interferometer located in Chile to track the object. Data shows that S301 completes an orbit around the black hole in just 8.7 years, bringing it within a distance only 12 times that between Earth and the sun.
The proximity of S301 to the black hole provides a new opportunity for scientists to test theories regarding general relativity. As the star maintains such a tight path, researchers expect to measure the effects of frame dragging, where the rotation of a massive object distorts spacetime. Observations planned for the next decade will likely allow the team to calculate the spin of Sagittarius A* directly.
Evidence suggests S301 originated from a binary star system. Experts believe the black hole captured the star while ejecting its companion at high velocity. Astronomers plan to continue monitoring the star using the Extremely Large Telescope, with the next close pass scheduled for 2031. This ongoing study represents a shift in how we understand the environment surrounding the center of our galaxy.