Newly discovered star moves fast enough to escape the Milky Way galaxy
A newly discovered celestial object, likely a faint red star, is moving at 1.3 million miles per hour, potentially escaping the Milky Way, identified by citizen scientists in the Backyard Worlds project.
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A newly discovered celestial object, likely a faint red star, is moving at an extraordinary speed of approximately 1.3 million miles per hour, potentially allowing it to escape the Milky Way galaxy. This object, designated CWISE J124909.08+362116.0 (or J1249+36), was identified by citizen scientists participating in the Backyard Worlds project. If confirmed, it would be the first known hypervelocity low-mass star. The star's speed is significantly higher than that of the Sun, which orbits the Milky Way at about 450,000 miles per hour. Researchers believe J1249+36 may have been ejected from a binary system involving a white dwarf that exploded in a supernova or from a globular cluster due to interactions with a black hole. The star's low mass complicates its classification, raising questions about whether it is a low-mass star or a brown dwarf. Understanding its nature could provide insights into the population of high-velocity, low-mass objects in the galaxy. The study has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, highlighting the significance of citizen science in astronomical discoveries.
- A newly discovered object may escape the Milky Way due to its high speed.
- The object is likely a faint red star, potentially the first hypervelocity low-mass star.
- It was detected by citizen scientists in the Backyard Worlds project.
- The star's classification remains uncertain, raising questions about its mass.
- Understanding this object could reveal more about high-velocity stars and galaxy formation.
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