NYOOM
Scientists have just identified the fastest moving star in our galaxy, and it is booking it.
The star S62 sweeps around Sagittarius A *, the supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way, on an extremely tight orbit. At its closest approach, it can travel faster than eight percent the speed of light, according to research published in The Astrophysical Journal. That’s fast enough to make visible the relativistic phenomena of time dilation and tongue contraction, making the star an interesting sandbox for curious physicists.
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As two objects – such as S62 and scientists stationed on Earth – move at different speeds, they measure the passage of time differently. Scientists looking at S62 will see that it takes a longer time for each one’s destination than a passenger on the actual star would.
This phenomenon, called time dilation, is the core of special relativity. It happens at any speed, but only becomes visible when you approach the speed of light. At eight percent light speed, the time dilation effect for S62 becomes barely noticeable, making it a great tool to study special relativity in action.
Coming soon
The bizarre, spirographic orbit of S62 will take it again near Sagittarius A * in about two years, according to the study.
When that happens, scientists will be ready: Not only to see some bizarre physics in action, but to use it to discover more of the mysteries surrounding black holes than ever before.
READ MORE: The fastest star ever seen is moving at 8% the speed of light [Universe Today]
More about relativity: Thanks to Time Dilation, Earth is 2.5 years younger than its surface
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