Milky Way's Fastest Runaway Star Detected by Scientists
Scientists have discovered six more runaway stars in the Milky Way, including the fastest object of this type yet detected in the galaxy. Four of the newly measured objects are hypervelocity stars, traveling at speeds that exceed the escape velocity of the Milky Way, and all four are likely the result of spectacular Type Ia supernovae. The discovery has allowed for a new calculation of the rate at which these stars are born, and found that it is consistent with the estimated rate of Type Ia supernovae.