At the center of our Milky Way lies a supermassive black hole with a mass so large, it'd be hard to simply comprehend. Its gravitational pull is so great, that it helps hold our galaxy together. Now, scientists have discovered the closest star orbiting to our Milky Way's supermassive black hole, giving scientists an opportunity to probe Einstein's theories.
The star, S0-102, orbits the supermassive black hole every 11.5 years, according to a UCLA statement. The previous record holder, S0-2, orbits the black hole every 16 years.
The incredible thing is, despite moving around at an incredible 6,600 miles per second, S0-102 looks to be a relatively stable orbit for something so close to a supermassive black hole.
"The fact that we are finding stars this close to the supermassive black hole-a hundred times closer to its event horizon than ever identified before-shows just how fast this field is developing," said study co-author Andrea Ghez, a UCLA astrophysicist.
The event horizon is the point of no return around a black hole - where everything and anything gets sucked in through what has been described as the "universe's exit door."
Not only is this discovery fascinating, it provides a real mathematical opportunity for scientists. By looking at the orbits of both S0-102 and S02, scientists can learn more about how black holes curve space and time - and see if Einstein was right.
"It is the tango of S0-102 and S0-2 that will reveal the true geometry of space and time near a black hole for the first time," said Ghez. "This measurement cannot be done with one star alone."
The reason for this is because black holes exhibit such a strong gravitational pull that they suck in even light, making them essentially invisible. To study one, scientists must rely on the effects the black hole exhibits on nearby objects and environments.
Both stars have an elliptical orbit, and by studying the differences between when the stars are further and closer to the black holes, scientists can hopefully unravel some of the mystery surrounding our space-time fabric.
The study will be published Friday, October 5 in the journal Science.
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