Milky Way's fastest star zips around black hole, telescope shows
Astronomers have discovered a star orbiting the Milky Way's supermassive black hole at record-breaking speeds of 15,534 miles per second. This finding provides new data to help scientists understand the properties and rotation of black holes.
Why it matters
Studying extreme stellar orbits near black holes is crucial for testing gravitational theories and understanding galactic evolution.
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 Associated Press
NEW YORK — A telescope has spied the fastest known star in our galaxy, racing around the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way.
The star is zipping around the black hole, reaching speeds of about 15,534 miles per second (25,000 kilometers per second). That’s 100,000 times faster than a commercial plane.
“That star is really, extremely fast,” said astronomer Stefan Gillessen with the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics.
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