Astronomers have detected the fastest known star in the Milky Way, traveling at about 25,000 kilometers (15,500 miles) per second as it orbits the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center. The star, called S301, moves roughly 100,000 times faster than a commercial airplane.
S301 is also the closest known star to the Milky Way's central black hole, Sagittarius A*, approaching it at a distance comparable to Saturn's distance from the Sun. The star's extreme proximity to the black hole could provide new insights into the fundamental properties of Sagittarius A*.
