Scientists have recently identified a pair of stars engaged in a rapid orbit around each other close to the enormous black hole located at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy.
Nearly all large galaxies are believed to host a supermassive black hole at their center, and the one that dominates the Milky Way is known as Sagittarius A*. This black hole is estimated to be around 4 million times as massive as the Sun and typically remains inactive, with sporadic episodes of consuming surrounding gas and dust.

While researchers are aware that stars can form in proximity to such black holes and may even circle them, the existence of two stars coexisting so near is a rare phenomenon that has not been documented before.
The findings were disclosed in a study published in the journal Nature Communications, indicating that further investigation is necessary to thoroughly understand these celestial objects.
Astrophysicist Anna Ciurlo from the University of California, Los Angeles, who did not participate in the research, remarked on the intriguing and atypical nature of the observation. “This leaves some questions still open,” she noted.

The stars, estimated to be around 2.7 million years old, are considered relatively youthful. Using their gravitational balance, scientists observed that they orbit each other from a distance that is precisely suitable: too far apart, and they risk being torn apart by the black hole’s overwhelming pull; too close, and they face the likelihood of merging into one star.
Despite their current stability, this state is not guaranteed to last indefinitely. According to Florian Peissker, the primary author of the study from the University of Cologne, the stars may eventually merge, although the timeline of such an event remains uncertain.
“We are actually in a really lucky situation,” he expressed, highlighting the timeliness of their observation of the duo.