The star S2 orbits Sagittarius A* with a period of 15.2 years and a semi-major axis of 950 au. What does Kepler's third law suggest as the total amount of mass inside the orbital radius of S2?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Kepler's third law states that $T^2 \propto a^3/M$, where $T$ is the period, $a$ is the semi-major axis, and $M$ is the mass. Using the given values and solving for $M$, the mass inside the orbit is approximately 4.1 × 10⁶ $M_{\odot}$.

The Star S2 Orbits Sagittarius A* with a Period of 15.2