Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on Feb 11, 2005 0:46:37 GMT -6
Speeding Star Set to Escape Our Galaxy
It appears that we are losing a native star due to celestial mechanics...
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Having lost its companion in a close brush our Milky Way's supermassive black hole, a fast-moving star appears to have had enough. It's fleeing the galaxy.
Moving at more than 1.5 million mph (670 kilometers per second), the speedy star's path has been traced back to the galactic center. Here's what astronomers think happened:
The star was once part of a two-star system. Like all stars in the Milky Way, the pair orbited the center of the galaxy. But they got precariously close to the central black hole, which has a mass of more than 3 million Suns. The gravitational interaction shot the star outward like a rock from a slingshot. The companion was stripped away and lured into a tight orbit around the center of the galaxy.
More here from Space.com: www.space.com/scienceastronomy/escaping_star_050208.html
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I think.....
That the star discovered the presence of the Human species, and got out while it could.
Smart Star...
