Mysterious Object Hurtling at 2 Million km/h Toward the Milky Way’s Heart Baffles Astronomers
Scientists are investigating the behavior of CWISE J1249+3621 and exploring why it has reached such high speeds.
A Shooting Star in the Milky Way
The cosmos continuously dazzles us with its enigmatic mysteries. Currently, it has captured the scientific community’s attention due to an unusual phenomenon: a mysterious object, resembling a star, hurtling towards the center of our Milky Way.
Celestial Protagonist: CWISE J1249+3621
The object, named CWISE J1249+3621, is located about 400 light-years from our planet. It has a mass about 8% that of the Sun, placing it between a normal star and a “brown dwarf,” often considered a failed star. This celestial body is currently the subject of intense study by researchers involved in the “Backyard Worlds: Planet 9” project, utilizing data from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE).
Astonishing Speed and a Terrifying Chemical Composition
According to Professor Adam Burgasser, who leads the research team at the University of California, this object is moving at an “extreme speed.” Its velocity is so high that it does not appear to be gravitationally bound to the Galaxy. Furthermore, analysis of its atmosphere has revealed a unique chemical composition that could provide clues about its origin.
Speculative Origins
The question arises as to what propelled this object at such a speed. Some speculations suggest it might have been ejected by the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* at the heart of our Galaxy, a process traditionally used to explain the origin of other hypervelocity stars.
Another possibility considered is that the object could have been part of a binary system with a white dwarf, a dead star, which could have drained its material. An explosion might then have propelled this object into space at the observed speed.
Lastly, the object could have been ejected from a globule cluster by interacting with black holes at its center. One thing is certain, whatever its origin, this object is generating immense interest among the scientific community.