by Einstein's theory of general relativity has been proven right (again!), thanks to the wobbly dance of a high-speed star swirling around the monster black hole at the center of our galaxy.
Astronomers with the European Southern Observatory (ESO) have been watching that star — named S2 — orbit our local supermassive black hole for 27 years, taking precise measurements of the star's position and velocity as it swoops around the galactic center, roughly 26,000 light-years from Earth.
After watching the star complete nearly two full orbits (each complete orbit takes about 16 years), the researchers concluded that the star does not have a fixed elliptical orbit as predicted by Isaac Newton's theory of gravity, but rather "dances" around the black hole in a pattern that resembles a rosette drawn using a spirograph.
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Astronomers with the European Southern Observatory (ESO) have been watching that star — named S2 — orbit our local supermassive black hole for 27 years, taking precise measurements of the star's position and velocity as it swoops around the galactic center, roughly 26,000 light-years from Earth.
After watching the star complete nearly two full orbits (each complete orbit takes about 16 years), the researchers concluded that the star does not have a fixed elliptical orbit as predicted by Isaac Newton's theory of gravity, but rather "dances" around the black hole in a pattern that resembles a rosette drawn using a spirograph.
Continued...
Source
ESO/L. Calçada)
