Water and dust have been detected within 0.55 light-years of Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole, challenging assumptions about stellar survival in extreme galactic centers. Observations by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) reveal a dying star, IRS 3, shedding material despite intense radiation, with silicate dust and water identified in its envelope.
The discovery, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics on August 11, 2026, marks the first time water has been found so close to Sagittarius A*. Astronomers used the JWST’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to analyze IRS 3, an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star located 26,000 light-years from Earth. Despite its proximity to the black hole, the star’s stellar winds have created a vast dusty envelope stretching 10,000 astronomical units (AU), with temperatures ranging from 1,700°F near the star to -280°F at its outer edge. Live Science reported that the findings suggest stars can still enrich their surroundings with cosmic dust in environments once thought too extreme.
Discovery of Water and Dust in a Harsh Galactic Environment
The JWST’s observations of IRS 3, a star six times the Sun’s mass and 72 million years old, revealed a layered dust shell composed of silicate particles and water molecules. This challenges the assumption that galactic centers are too extreme for this process to happen at all. Galactic centers are among the most extreme environments, so understanding whether stars can continue enriching their surroundings there is an important question,
said Florian Peißker, lead author of the study. ScienceAlert noted that the detection of water shows that molecular material can survive in an environment dominated by intense radiation.
Macarena Garcia Marin, an ESA scientist and co-author, emphasized the significance of the findings: This is the first time a continuous mid-infrared spectrum has been collected for this star, allowing us to detect the features from the silicate dust and uncover the star’s true chemical identity.
Popular Science highlighted that the study overturns previous classifications of IRS 3 as carbon-rich, revealing instead an oxygen-rich chemistry. The star’s envelope, modeled using JWST data, includes two strong silicate signatures and water.
Star’s Characteristics and Survival
IRS 3’s survival near Sagittarius A* defies expectations. Located just 0.55 light-years from the black hole, the star’s powerful stellar winds expel material at 15 kilometers per second, creating a dusty envelope. Researchers estimate the star may have originated 16 light-years away before migrating inward. Despite its effective temperature of 2,800 K (4,600°F), IRS 3 shines 60,000 times brighter than the Sun.
The star’s environment is hostile: Sagittarius A* emits intense radiation. Yet, IRS 3’s dust and water have endured. Yahoo noted that the findings challenge the notion that galactic centers are “too extreme” for this process to happen at all.
Implications for Galactic Evolution
The discovery has major implications for understanding how galaxies form and sustain themselves. We are made of star-stuff,
Carl Sagan once said. Popular Science noted that aging stars like IRS 3 may still be quietly seeding their surroundings with dust.
The JWST’s capabilities, particularly MIRI’s mid-infrared sensitivity, have opened new avenues for exploring extreme environments. As Garcia Marin concluded, With Webb, we can directly observe how stars behave under these conditions and see that dust production remains remarkably resilient.
The findings underscore the resilience of cosmic processes, even in the shadow of a supermassive black hole.
