NASA scientists, with the help of citizen astronomers, have discovered a space object hurtling through the Milky Way galaxy at an astonishing 1 million miles per hour. The object, called CWISE J1249, is estimated to be about 30,000 times larger than Earth.
A space object is crossing the Milky Way at an astonishing 1 million miles per hour. Image: WM Keck/Disclosure/NDTo give you an idea of the speed, the trip from Earth to the Moon would take less than 15 minutes.
It was discovered by the project participants.Backyard WorldsFrom NASA, which uses public input to analyze images from space and identify new planets and celestial bodies.
The object will pass through the Milky Way in a matter of minutes – Photo: Freepik/Divulgação/NDOne of the participants, Martin Kabatnik, expressed his excitement about the discovery, saying: “I can’t describe the level of excitement. When I first saw how fast it was moving, I was sure it had already been reported.
The space object is so fast that scientists believe it could leave the Milky Way in minutes.
It is not yet known exactly what it is, but the leading theory is that it is a “brown dwarf.”
Scientists believe the space object is a brown dwarf, with a mass equivalent to 8% of the Sun's mass, or 80 times the mass of Jupiter – Image: NASA/Disclosure/NDFor those who don't know, brown dwarfs are celestial bodies that are larger than planets, but smaller than stars, and don't have enough mass to initiate the nuclear fusion that characterizes a star.
However, NASA highlights that there are no other known brown dwarfs on their way out of the galaxy, making this discovery even more interesting.
Scientists also speculate that CWISE J1249 is very old, perhaps belonging to one of the first generations of stars in the Milky Way.
Edward Langley is a contributor at Mediarunsearch.co.uk, covering a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment and lifestyle. He focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current affairs and developing stories. His work highlights issues, trends and events that matter to everyday audiences, with an emphasis on accuracy, relevance and accessible journalism.