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Scientists may have spotted a tiny star , possibly with an alien world in tow , scoot through theMilky Wayaround 500 timesfaster than a speeding bullet . This would make this the riotous planetary system ever understand . However , there is still dubiety about the true nature of the speeding aim and its fellow traveller .
In 2011 , researchers indirectly spotted a pair of mysterious physical object in the Milky Way , via a phenomenon known as " microlensing " — a low - level form of gravitational lensing where Light Within acquire " bent on " as it pass throughspace - time that is distorted by gravid objects . Although the squad did not directly see or measure out the pair , the gravitative anomaly revealed the large objective was around 2,300 clip heavier than the humble object . One of the precede theories to excuse this was that the pair consisted of a diminished star being orbit by a sizableexoplanetlocated somewhere in the " astronomic hump " of star near the Milky Way ’s sum .
A newly discovered star could be speeding through the inner Milky Way at more than 1.2 million mph. This illustration shows how far it has moved in comparison with other stars during the same period.
In a new study , published Monday ( Feb. 10 ) inThe Astronomical Journal , a different group of researchers has identified a new lead that could be the larger object from this secret duad . The star has a mass just about one - fifth that ofthe sunand is located around 24,000 scant - years from Earth in the astronomic interior . Based on its positioning relative to the 2011 sighting , the researchers calculated that the star is traveling at least 1.2 million miles per hour ( 1.9 million km / h ) .
No alien worldly concern was spotted during the novel observance , which is unsurprising give that it can take years of constant monitoring to detect an exoplanet circling a star . However , found on the size of it of the larger aim , the researcher could foretell the peck of the potential exoplanet and its aloofness from its home champion .
" We remember this is a so - call super - Neptune world [ roughly 30 times more monumental than our planet ] orbiting a low - mass asterisk at a aloofness that would lie between the area of Venus and Earth if it were in oursolar system , " study lead story authorSean Terry , a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Maryland and NASA ’s Goddard Space Flight Center , said in astatement . " If so , it will be the first major planet ever find orbiting a hypervelocity star . " ( Given the star ’s small sizing , the satellite would almost sure enough be uninhabitable , the team add . )
The pair of objects spotted in 2011 could be a small star orbited by a super-Neptune gas giant exoplanet. The larger object is 2,300 times heavier than its counterpart.
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At this upper , the potential planetary system would be move through the Milky Way roughly doubly as fast as the solar scheme . However , it could be travel even faster , because the new observance do not take into account its direction proportional to our system , the researchers write .
If the stellar contender is travel at more than 1.3 million miles per hour ( 2.1 million kilometre / h ) , it will have a sufficient evasion velocity to one day will the Milky Way and drag its planetary associate with it into intergalactic infinite , NASArepresentatives compose in the statement .
However , the squad is still uncertain about the objects ' true sizes and speeds — or even what they really are .
Multiple uncertainties
Even if the larger aim from 2011 is a star , there is no guarantee that it is the same principal spotted in the young written report , or that it is moving at the speed the researchers calculated , because they have not actually seen it move yet .
" To be sure the newly identified star is part of the system that caused the 2011 signaling , we ’d like to look again in another year and see if it moves the right amount and in the right direction to confirm it total from the point where we detected the signal , " study Centennial State - authorDavid Bennett , a elderly research scientist at the University of Maryland , College Park and NASA Goddard , said in the statement .
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There is also an substitute account for the 2011 sighting : that the pair of objects is in reality agiant varlet exoplanetbeing orbited by a massive exomoon . In this scenario , the duo would also be located much closer to Earth .
If succeeding watching show the star does not move , " that would mean the rogue planet and exomoon exemplar is favored , " study co - authorAparna Bhattacharya , a enquiry scientist at the University of Maryland and NASA Goddard , said in the affirmation .
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