Milky Way's Two Runaway Stars Break Speed Records
Astronomers have discovered six new "runaway" stars in the Milky Way, including one that has the highest constant velocity ever observed in the galaxy, moving at a whopping 2,285 kilometers per second. These stars were kicked out in a dramatic explosion known as a "dynamically driven doubly-degenerate double detonation" and are all white dwarfs. The fastest four have properties consistent with the D6 scenario. The team suggests that most Type Ia supernovae would produce these runaway stars, and the Milky Way has launched 10 million such stars into intergalactic space.
