Astronomers have discovered an exoplanet orbiting an extremely fast-moving star in a distant galaxy.
This star-planet pair is traveling at an astonishing speed of approximately 1.2 million miles per hour—more than four times the speed of light.
According to a new study published in the Astronomical Journal, this rapid movement could one day propel them beyond their home galaxy into the depths of space.
Lead researcher and NASA scientist Shaun Terry stated that scientists believe this planet orbits a low-mass star at a distance shorter than that between Venus and Earth. If confirmed, it would be the first known planet orbiting a hypervelocity star.
Hypervelocity stars are incredibly fast-moving stars that have passed close to the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy.
Unlike our Sun, this star is weak, making the possibility of life on its orbiting planet highly unlikely.
This star-planet system was first detected in 2011, located approximately 24,000 light-years away.
