. Observations of the black hole at the centre of the Milky Way show that it rotates at an unprecedented rate – nearly 24 times faster than previously measured. This means that the inner edge of the black hole’s disk is likely rotating faster than the speed of light, making it the first object in the universe to do so. The team’s observations suggest that the black hole’s spin is highly coupled to the surrounding accretion disk. As material falls into the black hole, some of that material is funneled away, carrying angular momentum which causes the black hole to spin faster. This spin then affects the properties of the accretion disk and the space-time itself, contributing to the formation of the powerful jets that are seen streaming from the disk.
Our galaxy’s black hole spins fast and drags space-time with it, scientists say
