Astronomers link gas clouds near Sagittarius A* to massive binary star IRS 16SW
Updated
Updated · The Brighter Side of News · Apr 25
Astronomers link gas clouds near Sagittarius A* to massive binary star IRS 16SW
13 articles · Updated · The Brighter Side of News · Apr 25
Researchers identified a third compact gas clump, G2t, forming a G1-2-3 streamer whose orbits trace back to IRS 16SW in the Milky Way’s Galactic Center.
Simulations show the binary’s slow stellar wind can fragment into clumps, potentially feeding the supermassive black hole episodically and explaining its variable activity over decades.
The study refines understanding of how Sagittarius A* receives material, suggesting targeted observation of G2t’s predicted close approach in 2031 could further illuminate black hole feeding mechanisms.
If black holes are fed in clumps, does this mean galactic centers 'flicker' on and off over cosmic time?
Could our galaxy’s central black hole actually be an exotic dark matter clump in disguise?
Do stellar winds from massive stars provide the primary fuel for black holes throughout the universe?
Can a newly found star's orbit finally let us measure the spin of our galaxy's central black hole?
Is a single star system responsible for lighting up the supermassive black hole at our galaxy's heart?
How will the 2031 cosmic collision of a gas cloud with Sagittarius A* be different from what we've seen before?
How IRS 16SW’s Colliding Stellar Winds Forge Gas Streamers Feeding Sagittarius A*
Overview
In 2025, researchers traced the motions of gas clouds G1, G2, and G3 backward and identified the massive contact binary star IRS 16SW as their common source. IRS 16SW generates powerful stellar winds that collide with surrounding gas, creating shock waves that compress and fragment the gas into dense clumps. These clumps detach and drift toward the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*, delivering about one Earth mass of material every decade, enough to sustain its activity. Observations show the clumps' orbits change in sync with IRS 16SW's motion, confirming a direct link. This discovery challenges previous beliefs about binary stars near black holes and reveals binaries as key black hole feeders.