Black Hole

Astronomers have found the most promising candidate yet for a "black hole star," a new type of astrophysical object lurking in the early universe's "cosmic dawn." If confirmed, the findings could help to unravel the mysterious origin of " little red dots " (LRDs), an infamous group of hundreds of…

Astronomers have found the fastest known star in the Milky Way, a faint object racing around Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the heart of our galaxy. Dubbed S301, the star reaches about 15,500 miles (25,000 kilometers) per second at its fastest — more than 8% the speed of…

Astronomers have spotted a faint, previously unknown star whipping around Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole, on the tightest and most extreme orbit ever recorded. This sequence of images, taken with the GRAVITY instrument at ESO’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer, show several stars orbiting Sagittarius A*. One of…

Published Aug 19, 2026, 2:30 PM EDT Jonathon Jachura is a mechanical engineer with over 12 years of HVAC industry experience who specializes in translating complex home systems into practical advice for everyday homeowners. His background spans technical sales and product management for major manufacturers, combined with hands-on experience as a…

Nothing can escape a black hole—except, potentially, its secrets. Astrophysicists have spied a unique star called S301 whipping around Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way’s heart. S301 orbits Sgr A* so tightly that the star’s trajectory should be bent by the black hole’s rotation.…

Over time, the orbit of the newly discovered star will depend on whether Sgr A* is spinning. Credit: ESO/GRAVITY/L. Calçada Over time, the orbit of the newly discovered star will depend on whether Sgr A* is spinning. Credit: ESO/GRAVITY/L. Calçada So, we know there’s almost certainly some spin in Sgr…

This photo made with a long exposure and released by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) on Nov. 10, 2025, shows four lasers at ESO's Paranal Observatory, each one launched from one of the four eight-meter telescopes on site in Taltal, Chile. (A. Berdeu/European Southern Observatory via AP) A. Berdeu/European Southern…

Astronomers have discovered the closest, fastest star ever seen orbiting Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the 4.3 million-solar-mass black hole at the heart of our galaxy. The faint star, named S301, completes a lap every 8.7 years and skims past the black hole at roughly 55 million mph (90 million km/h)…

Black holes grow in two main ways: by swallowing gas or by merging with other black holes. Gas accretion is usually the dominant process, but in certain eras of cosmic history, mergers may play a bigger role. Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have spotted something extraordinary in…

The distant galaxy J0148-4214, seen in the light of ionized hydrogen. The image appears pixelated because of the great distance to the galaxy. The black circles denote the relative locations of the three black holes. (Image credit: Hannah Übler) A trio of heavyweight black holes are entangled in a dance…