Runaway Star and Its Planet Spotted Fleeing the Milky Way at Hyperspeed!
Astronomers have discovered a star and its planet moving so fast that they might escape the Milky Way. This system is traveling at least 1.9 million kilometers per hour, which is twice as fast as the Sun and its planets. If confirmed, this would be the first known exoplanet orbiting a hyper-fast star.
How Was This Discovered?
The discovery was made using a phenomenon called microlensing. In this process, light from a distant star is bent by an object passing in front of it, making the star appear brighter. This bending of light revealed the presence of other objects. The data came from the Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA) project in New Zealand.
Using the Gaia space telescope, scientists identified the star and calculated its incredible speed. They believe the system includes:
- A small star, about 20% the size of the Sun,
- And a planet 29 times heavier than Earth.
Fun Fact: If this isn’t a star and planet, it could instead be a rogue planet with a moon wandering through space—another exciting possibility!
Why Is This Important?
This finding is groundbreaking because it shows how dynamic our universe is. Whether it’s a star and planet leaving the galaxy or a lone planet with a moon, both scenarios teach us more about the cosmos and how objects are ejected from galaxies.
Stay tuned as astronomers continue unraveling this cosmic mystery!
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