Close-up: IRS 3 Star Field near Milky Way's Central Black Hole | Webb Telescope

Close-up: IRS 3 Star Field near Milky Way's Central Black Hole | Webb Telescope

This video features new images from Webb’s near infrared camera (NIRCam) and mid infrared instrument (MIRI). They capture the most detailed infrared views yet of the field that hosts the highly evolved star IRS 3. It is located just 0.55 light-years from Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way galaxy's central supermassive black hole.

An international team of astronomers have discovered that dust and water can form and survive surprisingly close to this supermassive black hole. The observations reveal that the evolved star IRS 3 continues to enrich its surroundings with newly formed material despite the intense radiation environment around Sagittarius A*.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, F. Peißker, J. Lu, F. Yusef-Zadeh, N. B. Sabha, C. Chan, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Aug. 11, 2026

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