S301 is a star much like our sun, but its location makes it extraordinary. It orbits Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. This proximity subjects S301 to extreme gravitational forces, causing it to experience warped time and space. S301’s orbit brings it closer to Sgr A* than any other known star, at about 1.7 billion kilometers, which is not much farther than the distance from the sun to Saturn. This unique position offers a view of the black hole’s shadow, appearing more than twice the size of our full moon from Earth. The discovery of S301 highlights the dynamic and mysterious nature of our galaxy’s core, offering astronomers a rare opportunity to study the effects of a supermassive black hole on nearby celestial bodies.
QUESTION: How might the study of stars like S301 change our understanding of black holes and their influence on the universe?
This star has the strangest sky in the galaxy
