In the center of the Milky Way, near the black hole Sagittarius A, a pair of young stars orbiting each other has been discovered for the first time.
Astronomers have discovered for the first time a pair of stars orbiting each other near the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A at the center of the Milky Way. The results of the study were published in the journal Nature Communications, reports IFL Science.
At first, scientists considered these objects to be ordinary clouds of gas and dust, but detailed observations confirmed that they are a double star system.
“I thought my analysis was wrong, but after long observations it became clear: we have discovered the first double star in this cluster. Black holes are not as destructive as we thought,” said Florian Peisker, leading owner of study author from the University of Cologne.
Data collected by the large telescope of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) indicates that these stars are about 2.7 million years old. One of the stars is 2.9 times more massive than the Sun, the second is only 0.73 of its mass. The revolving cycle of the stars around each other takes 372 days.
Despite its proximity to the black hole, the system is in a stable state. But in a million years, the gravitational influence of the black hole could cause the stars to merge into something.
“Our discovery allows us to suggest the existence of hitherto unknown planets in the middle of the galaxy, as they often form around young stars. It seems possible that their discovery is only a matter of time,” said by Peisker.
It was previously reported that the Subaru Space Telescope discovered a spectacular galaxy with three surrounding rings.
Astronomers have captured the first image of a star outside the Milky Way
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Source: korrespondent
I am Ben Stock, a passionate and experienced digital journalist working in the news industry. At the Buna Times, I write articles covering technology developments and related topics. I strive to provide reliable information that my readers can trust. My research skills are top-notch, as well as my ability to craft engaging stories on timely topics with clarity and accuracy.