Astronomers have discovered a scrawny star and its fast-moving exoplanet partner, which could set a new record for the fastest-moving exoplanet system in our galaxy. The planetary system is thought to move at an astonishing 1.2 million miles per hour, nearly double the speed of our solar system’s journey through the Milky Way.
The exoplanet, orbiting a low-mass star, is believed to be a “super-Neptune world” located between the orbits of Venus and Earth if it were in our own solar system. However, due to its weak stellar companion, it falls outside the habitable zone, making it unlikely for life to exist on this planet.
The discovery was made possible by the collaboration of scientists from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland, who analyzed archived data from various space observatories. They used a technique called microlensing to detect the presence of exoplanets, which relies on the bending of light around massive objects.
In this case, the microlensing signals revealed two celestial bodies with relative masses differing by 2,300 times. To confirm their exact masses, scientists will rely on future observations from NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
This groundbreaking discovery not only sheds light on the exoplanet’s orbital characteristics but also offers insights into how such speedy star systems accelerate their planets to extreme velocities. The study was published in The Astronomical Journal and provides a new perspective on the search for life beyond our solar system.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/universe/nasa-scientists-spot-candidate-for-speediest-exoplanet-system