How Astronomers Found A Star Racing At 56 Million Miles Per Hour

Astronomers have discovered the fastest known star orbiting the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*, according to research published in Nature.

Named S301, the faint star reaches speeds of about 56 million miles per hour and completes an orbit around the black hole every 8.7 years.

The GRAVITY+ collaboration detected S301 using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope Interferometer in Chile.

Its unusually close orbit could allow scientists to measure the black hole's spin for the first time and provide a direct test of Einstein's general theory of relativity.

Researchers expect continued observations over the next decade to reveal changes in the star's orbit caused by the Lense-Thirring effect. Despite its proximity, scientists say the star is not currently at risk of being swallowed by the black hole.

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Fastest-known star zooms under Milky Way black hole's influence https://t.co/i62Swievuu https://t.co/i62Swievuu

— Reuters (@Reuters) August 19, 2026

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tippinsightsTIPP Staff