The Fastest Star on Record Has Been Found Hurtling Past Our Galaxy’s Black Hole

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Astronomers have identified the fastest star ever recorded, streaking through space at unprecedented velocities near the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. Called S301, this stellar object completes an orbit around Sagittarius A* every 8.7 years, reaching peak speeds exceeding 25,000 kilometers per second during its closest approach—equivalent to roughly 8.5 percent of light speed. At its nearest point, S301 ventures roughly 10 times closer to the black hole than any previously studied star, creating an extraordinary opportunity for scientific investigation.

The extreme proximity of S301’s orbit allows researchers to test fundamental theories about black holes in ways previously impossible. The star travels through the warped spacetime surrounding the spinning black hole, experiencing a phenomenon called frame-dragging where the black hole’s rotation actually twists the fabric of space itself. By comparing S301’s actual trajectory with theoretical predictions, scientists can calculate the black hole’s rotation rate with unprecedented precision—a measurement never before attempted for such a massive black hole.

This discovery opens pathways to testing the no-hair theorem, a cornerstone of general relativity proposing that a black hole’s properties can be fully described by just two measurements: mass and spin. Researchers have already determined Sagittarius A*’s mass to remarkable accuracy. If continued observations of S301 confirm predictions about additional gravitational properties, it would represent a powerful validation of Einstein’s theories in one of the universe’s most extreme environments.

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Originally reported by Sciencealert →