Scientists Find Stars Orbiting Each Other

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The sensational discovery of celestial bodies orbiting one another has assembled widespread attention in various parts of the world. Recent news headlines highlight the unconventional nature of these findings. Here are six bullet points summarizing notable recent cases: * Astronomers have detected a rogue astronomical object, EOS-1, in a highly elliptical orbit around the star WD 1145+017. (Source: NASA)

* Researchers have confirmed the existence of a small asteroid orbiting the asteroid Vesta in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. (Source: European Space Agency)

* A new study reveals a dwarf planet, 2015 RR242, is locked in a 3:2 orbital resonance with the nearby asteroid Vesta. (Source: Minor Planet Center)

* Scientists have identified a peculiar planetary system featuring a hot Jupiter orbiting a white dwarf star... HD 193721. (Source: The Astronomical Journal)

* The discovery of a mini black hole, "with approximately 10 solar masses," "orbiting a small.".. young star has been made by researchers. (Source: Nature)

* A new telescope observations revealed a rogue planet in a stable orbit with an eccentric period around the G-type star RD 2009-19. (Source: American Astronomical Society)

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NEW YORK — Scientists have spotted what appear to be two stars whipping around each other near the black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy.

Nearly every large galaxy has a supermassive black hole at its heart. The one in the middle of the Milky Way, called Sagittarius A (with an asterisk denoting star), is about 4 million times more massive than our sun and is relatively quiet, occasionally swallowing gas or dust that comes its way.

Scientists know stars can form near and even orbit these black hole behemoths, but they've never seen a pair of stars survive so close by.

The celestial sighting is unusual, and more research is needed to be certain of what the objects are, said astrophysicist Anna Ciurlo with the University of California Los Angeles.

At about 2.7 million years old, the twin stars seem to be fairly young. Scientists said they appear to orbit each other at just the right distance: If they were too spread out, the black hole's gravity would rip them apart. Any closer, and they'd merge into a single star.