In the center of the Milky Way, 24,000 light-years from Earth, a strange pair of objects is moving very fast through space.
Scientists believe these objects are a fast star and its planet. If confirmed, they would be the fastest exoplanet system known.
Stars in the Milky Way usually move at a few hundred thousand miles per hour, but these objects are moving at least 1.2 million miles per hour, much faster.
Astronomer Sean Terry said the star has a planet orbiting it, making it a super-Neptune system. This would be the first planet found with a high-speed star.
Scientists found these objects in 2011 using data from Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics. Gravitational microlensing helped in observing their movement.
Research in 2011 showed one object is 2,300 times more massive than the other, but their actual mass is still unknown.
Further studies using data from Keck Observatory and the Gaia satellite indicate these objects are a star system 24,000 light-years away. The star’s speed is more than double that of our sun.
The study was published in The Astronomical Journal.
Vocabulary List:
- Exoplanet /ˈɛk.soʊˌplæn.ɪt/ (noun): A planet that orbits a star outside the solar system.
- Microlensing /ˈmaɪ.kroʊˌlɛn.zɪŋ/ (noun): A gravitational lensing effect that allows for the observation of distant astronomical objects.
- Massive /ˈmæs.ɪv/ (adjective): Of considerable size extent or capacity.
- Observations /ɒbˈzɜːr.veɪ.ʃənz/ (noun): The action or process of closely monitoring or watching something.
- Gravitational /ˌgræv.ɪˈteɪ.ʃən.əl/ (adjective): Relating to or denoting the force of attraction between masses.
- Orbiting /ˈɔːr.bɪt.ɪŋ/ (verb): Moving around another object in a circular or elliptical path.
How much do you know?
Where are the strange pair of objects located in the Milky Way?
What do scientists believe the objects moving fast through space are?
How fast are the objects moving compared to typical stars in the Milky Way?
What type of system is the star and its planet believed to be?
How were these objects discovered in 2011?
What is the star's speed compared to our sun according to the studies?
The objects moving through space are the slowest recorded in the Milky Way.
The star and planet system was discovered using the Hubble Space Telescope.
The mass of both objects in the system is accurately known.
The study of these objects was published in Nature magazine.
The objects were found orbiting a supermassive black hole in the Milky Way center.
Gravitational microlensing was a key method used to study the movement of the objects.
The objects were found in the center of the Milky Way, 24,000 light-years away from Earth. The star is more than double the speed of our sun. Further studies using data from Keck Observatory and the Gaia satellite indicate these objects are a star system 24,000 light-years away. The star's speed is more than double that of our sun. The study was published in .
One object discovered in 2011 is 2,300 times more massive than the other, but their actual mass is still .
Astronomer Sean Terry mentioned that the star has a planet orbiting it, creating a super-Neptune system. This would be the first planet found with a high-speed .
Scientists believe the strange pair of objects are a fast star and its planet. If confirmed, they would be the fastest system known.
Stars in the Milky Way typically move at a few hundred thousand miles per hour, but these objects are moving at least 1.2 million miles per hour, much .
Research in 2011 showed one object is 2,300 times more massive than the other, but their actual mass is still .
