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Astronomers discover star orbiting closer to Milky Way's central black hole than any other known star
Key points
- A new star orbits Sgr A* closer than any other known star.
- The star's eccentric orbit may allow spin measurements of Sgr A*.
- Black hole properties are limited to mass, charge, and spin.
- Spin is the only measurable property besides mass.
New Star Discovered Near Sgr A*
Researchers have announced the discovery of a star with an exceptionally eccentric orbit around Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. This star approaches Sgr A* more closely than any other star identified to date, as detailed in a recent issue of Nature.
Implications for Black Hole Research
The proximity of this newly found star to Sgr A* is significant because it may allow scientists to obtain the first measurements of the black hole's spin. Previous understanding of Sgr A* has largely come from observing the orbits of surrounding stars, which helped estimate its mass and size.
Understanding Black Hole Properties
According to current understanding of relativity, black holes possess only three distinct properties: mass, charge, and spin. While charge is not measurable, spin is a property that can be inferred. The momentum of the material that forms a black hole is conserved in its spin, and gravitational wave detections from black hole mergers have provided some information about spin. This new stellar observation offers a direct method to study Sgr A*'s spin.
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Reporting from
Astronomers have identified a new star with an extremely eccentric orbit that brings it closer to Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the Milky Way's supermassive black hole, than any previously observed star. This discovery could enable the first measurements of Sgr A*'s spin, providing new insights into black hole properties beyond mass.