This high-speed star is whipping around the black hole in the middle of our galaxy

This image traces the orbital paths of all known stars orbiting the massive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. One of the stars, S301, approaches the black hole very closely. At its closest approach, the star travels over 15,000 miles per second.

Researchers have identified a speed demon at the heart of the Milky Way. This fast-moving star may yield insights into the black hole parked at the center of our galaxy.

(Image credit: Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics)