Astronomers have identified the fastest known star in the Milky Way, designated S301, which is orbiting the supermassive black hole at the galaxy’s center, Sagittarius A*, at remarkable speed. The star travels at approximately 25,000 kilometers per second—around 100,000 times faster than a typical commercial airplane.

Located closest to Sagittarius A* among known stars, S301 completes a full orbit in just 8.7 years. Its trajectory brings it to within roughly 12 times the distance between Earth and the sun, an unusually close approach that provides a unique opportunity to study the gravitational environment near the black hole.

Felix Mang, a doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching, Germany, and co-author of the study detailing the discovery, noted that the star’s tight orbit is unprecedented in its proximity and speed. Scientists believe observations of S301 can offer valuable insights into the fundamental properties of Sagittarius A* and the dynamics of the extreme environment surrounding it.

The findings, published in the journal Nature, highlight how such close stellar orbits allow astronomers to test predictions from general relativity and improve understanding of black hole physics. Continued monitoring of S301 is expected to contribute to broader efforts to map the gravitational field close to Sagittarius A* and investigate phenomena occurring in one of the most extreme regions of our galaxy.