Massive Stars on the Run: Fleeing the Milky Way

Astronomers have discovered dozens of massive stars that are fleeing the Milky Way, according to a study published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. Using data from the Gaia spacecraft and two stellar catalogues, the researchers identified 106 runaway O-type stars and 69 runaway Be-type stars. The study suggests that the dynamical ejection scenario, involving gravitational interactions in dense star-forming regions, is more likely than the binary supernova scenario to explain the high proportion of massive stars among runaway stars. The findings contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms behind star ejections from galaxies.