Star S301 orbiting the black hole Sagittarius A* — a speed record in the Galaxy

Artistic reconstruction of the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* with its accretion disk and star S301 accelerating to 8% of the speed of light on an elliptical orbit

The image depicts the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* at the center of the Milky Way, surrounded by a hot accretion disk. The bright star S301 travels along an elongated elliptical path, reaching 8% of the speed of light as it approaches the event horizon. The visualization vividly illustrates the extreme gravitational conditions experienced by the Galaxy's fastest known star.

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