The center of the Milky Way is one of the harshest neighborhoods in our galaxy. Intense radiation, dense star fields and the gravitational influence of the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* create conditions very different from the relatively calm environment around our Sun. Yet James Webb observations have shown that chemistry can remain surprisingly resilient there.
In 2026, astronomers reported that the evolved star IRS 3 is producing oxygen-rich dust and that water can survive in its surrounding envelope even though the star lies only about 0.55 light-years from Sagittarius A*. The result gives researchers a new way to think about how material is recycled in galactic centers.
Meet IRS 3, a star near the end of its life
IRS 3 is an evolved star in the central region of the Milky Way. It has reached the asymptotic giant branch stage, a late phase when a star becomes cool, large and luminous and loses significant amounts of material through stellar winds. Those winds carry newly formed dust and molecules into surrounding space.
According to ESA’s Webb release, researchers estimate that IRS 3 is about six times the mass of the Sun and roughly 72 million years old. The star is wrapped in a huge dusty envelope extending thousands of astronomical units.
Why dust near a black hole is surprising
Dust is easy to destroy. High-energy radiation can heat grains, break molecules apart and change the chemistry of gas. The galactic center is therefore not the first place astronomers would choose if they wanted to study delicate molecular material.
But IRS 3 is actively replenishing its neighborhood. As the star sheds its outer layers, new material continually moves outward. Webb’s mid-infrared sensitivity allowed astronomers to separate the star’s chemical fingerprint from the complicated background and identify silicate features that revealed IRS 3 as oxygen-rich rather than carbon-rich.
This matters because dust is one of the basic ingredients of future planetary systems. Dust grains help cool gas clouds, provide surfaces for chemical reactions and eventually contribute to the solid material from which planets form.
What does “water near a black hole” actually mean?
The discovery does not mean there is an ocean near Sagittarius A*. Astronomers detected spectral evidence for water molecules in the envelope around IRS 3. The water is part of the star’s circumstellar material, mixed with gas and dust.
Infrared spectroscopy is powerful because different molecules interact with specific wavelengths of light. A spectrum can show dips and features that act like chemical barcodes. Webb’s MIRI instrument can observe wavelengths that are difficult or impossible to study from the ground with the same clarity.
Cosmic recycling in the center of the galaxy
Stars manufacture and redistribute elements over their lifetimes. Massive stars end in supernova explosions, while stars such as IRS 3 can lose matter more gradually through strong winds. That enriched material becomes part of the interstellar medium, where it may later be incorporated into new stars or planets.
The new Webb result suggests that this recycling process can continue even close to a supermassive black hole. That is especially interesting for astronomers studying other galaxies, because many galaxies contain active or formerly active central black holes. If evolved stars can keep producing dust in such environments, then galactic centers may remain chemically productive even when conditions are extreme.
What you are seeing in Webb’s image
The combined NIRCam and MIRI view is packed with stars and glowing clouds. Infrared wavelengths reveal structures hidden behind dust in visible light. Darker lanes mark thick material, while bright regions trace warm dust, stars and illuminated gas. The colorful picture is a scientific visualization based on infrared data rather than a simple photograph as the human eye would see it.
That distinction does not make the image less real. The underlying photons were collected by Webb’s detectors; colors are assigned to different wavelengths so human viewers can interpret the data.
What astronomers want to learn next
Researchers can compare IRS 3 with other evolved stars in the central parsecs of the Milky Way to determine how common this dust production is. They can also test how radiation, stellar winds and the black hole environment influence which molecules survive.
The broader question is how the central regions of galaxies stay supplied with dust. Webb provides enough spatial and spectral resolution to study individual sources instead of treating the galactic center as one blended glow.
FAQ
Is Sagittarius A* consuming IRS 3?
IRS 3 is located near Sagittarius A* in galactic terms, but the observation focuses on the star’s own envelope and chemistry rather than the star being swallowed by the black hole.
Is the detected water liquid?
No. The observation identifies molecular water in circumstellar material through infrared spectroscopy.
Why is the result important?
It shows that dust and molecules can form and survive in a region once considered extremely hostile to such material, improving models of chemical recycling in galactic centers.