Hypervelocity star ejected by Milky Way's black hole
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The Milky Way's central black hole has ejected a Sun-like star at hypervelocity, according to a study published in Nature on May 21. The star is now traveling at speeds exceeding 1,000 kilometers per second, making it one of the fastest known objects in the galaxy.
The Ejection Event
The black hole, known as Sagittarius A*, accelerated the star to hypervelocity through a gravitational slingshot mechanism. The star, initially part of a binary system, was flung outward when the black hole's tidal forces disrupted its orbit. The study estimates the ejection occurred roughly 5 million years ago, based on the star's current trajectory and speed.
Scientific Significance
Hypervelocity stars are rare, with only about a dozen confirmed in the Milky Way. This discovery provides direct evidence of black holes ejecting stars at extreme speeds, a process long theorized but rarely observed. The star's composition matches that of Sun-like stars, ruling out an extragalactic origin.
What's Next
Astronomers plan to track the star's path using the Hubble Space Telescope to refine its origin point. It remains unclear whether other hypervelocity stars in the galaxy share a similar ejection mechanism.
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Hypervelocity star ejected by Milky Way's black hole
