Star Sets Record for Fastest, Closest Orbit Around Milky Way's Central Black Hole, Study Finds

Astronomers have found the fastest-known star in the Milky Way, setting a record for the tightest orbit ever observed around our galaxy's central black hole.

A newly discovered star is whipping around Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, faster than any star previously recorded — and closer than any ever observed. The discovery sets a double record: the tightest orbital path and the highest speed ever measured for a star orbiting our galaxy's central black hole. The findings were published Wednesday in the journal Nature. Scientists say the star harnesses the power of the black hole's gravity to fly faster without falling in. While several hundred stars are known to closely orbit Sagittarius A* and are sensitive to its gravitational pull, this newly found star is also detectably affected by the black hole's rotation — a rare and valuable property. Studying how the star moves could help scientists better understand the black hole's mysterious properties, including its spin rate, which is notoriously difficult to measure. The star's orbit is so compact that it brings the object into an extreme gravitational environment, where the effects of general relativity become directly observable. Its orbital path appears to be coupled to the spin of the black hole itself — a phenomenon astronomers have long sought to measure. Sagittarius A* sits roughly 26,000 light-years from Earth and has a mass about four million times that of the Sun. Stars orbiting close to it have been studied for decades as a way to test Einstein's theory of general relativity under extreme conditions.

Why it matters

This star offers a rare opportunity to directly measure the spin of a supermassive black hole, a quantity central to understanding how black holes grow and shape their host galaxies. It also provides a new laboratory for testing general relativity at the extreme gravitational conditions near a galactic core.

What's next

Continued observation of the star's orbital behavior could yield increasingly precise measurements of Sagittarius A*'s spin rate, which has remained poorly constrained despite decades of study.

Key facts

• The star holds the record for the fastest speed and tightest orbit ever observed around Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way's central black hole
• Sagittarius A* has a mass approximately four million times that of the Sun and lies about 26,000 light-years from Earth
• The star's orbit appears linked to the black hole's spin — a characteristic that has long been difficult for astronomers to measure
• The discovery was made using telescope observations capable of resolving detail near the galactic center
• The extreme proximity of the orbit places the star in a regime where spacetime-warping effects predicted by general relativity are directly detectable

Bias & framing notes

The Newsday and ClickOnDetroit reports appear to be identical and very brief, providing little detail beyond the basic finding. LiveScience adds the record-setting orbital context, while Gizmodo provides the most scientifically specific detail about black hole spin and spacetime effects. No sources contradict each other, but the depth of reporting varies significantly. Key details — such as the star's name, the telescope used, and the study citation — are absent from all available sources, limiting full verification.

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