[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Can the mass of the star and speed be used to conclude the attraction of the black hole?

Assuming that you are asking if, based upon an estimate of the mass of the visible star and its observed orbital period (and hence: orbital speed), can one calculate the mass of the black hole, . . . It is a 1st-year college physics level calculation.

Let’s see . . .

earth’s mass is negligible compared to that of the sun, and earth orbits the sun once per year, at a radius of about 93 million miles.

We’re told that the star orbits the black hole at a distance of about half the lunar distance of some 384,402 km, and that the velocity of the star orbiting the black hole is about 1% of the speed of light - i.e., 1% of 300,000 meters per second.

Newtonian physics - which is probably close enough of government work even when dealing with speeds of 1% of the speed of light - gives the relation between the mass of the black hole and the mass of our sun as being proportional to the square of the ratio of the orbital velocity of the star to that of the earth. And inversely proportional to ratio of the orbital distance of the star to the orbital distance of the earth.

Or something like that . . .

[Texas Fossil]

Yes, smile. Or something like that.

[alexander_busek]

We’re told that the star orbits the black hole at a distance of about half the lunar distance [...] the velocity of the star orbiting the black hole is about 1% of the speed of light - i.e., 1% of 300,000 meters km per second.

I believe that the article states "around a vast black hole at about 2.5 times the distance between Earth and the Moon."

Regards,