VISUAL ARCHIVE / IMAGE STORY
The Small Twist Still to Be Measured
Spin would add a subtle orientation-dependent change to S301’s orbit.
Frame dragging can alter the orientation of an orbit around a rotating black hole. The glowing curves symbolize spacetime geometry and are neither physical strands nor measured data. AI-generated conceptual illustration.
THE OBSERVATION
What we can actually see.
General relativity predicts frame dragging around a rotating mass. The S301 paper forecasts a measurable contribution with sufficient future astrometry and spectroscopy, while nearby unseen masses could also perturb the path.
THE ILLUSTRATION
What the artwork imagines.
The luminous threads stand in for geometry, not matter in space. Their twist is a teaching device and cannot be read as a detected spin magnitude for Sagittarius A*.
FROM THE ILLUSTRATED ARTICLE
The story that inspired it.
The article follows S301’s observed orbit and the future prospect of measuring Sagittarius A* spin from repeated passages. Spin would add a subtle orientation-dependent change to S301’s orbit.
Read The Star Our Black Hole KeptCHECK THE RECORD
The image interprets the research below. Follow the original work for the measurements and limits behind the scene.
S301 orbit discovery in NatureOTHER IMAGE STORIES
S301 at the Edge of Strong Gravity
The Companion We Have Not Found
The Mark Shared by Titan and Pluto