NASA: Object Moving 1 Million MPH!

NASA’s Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project has discovered a hypervelocity object, CWISE J124909.08+362116.0, moving at about 1 million miles per hour. This object, more than 27,000 times larger than Earth, was identified by citizen scientists using data from NASA’s WISE telescope.

Not only is it extraordinarily fast, but its low mass and unusual composition suggest it may belong to one of the Milky Way’s earliest generations of stars. Scientists believe its incredible speed could be due to a supernova explosion or an interaction with black holes.

This discovery, published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, showcases the power of collaboration between volunteers, professionals, and students.