Citizen Scientists Discover Star Traveling at 1 Million MPH

The hypervelocity star, identified as CWISE J1249, is on a trajectory to escape the Milky Way.

The star was discovered by volunteers in NASA's Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project using WISE data.
CWISE J1249 is the closest and smallest hypervelocity star to the solar system.
Its unusual speed and trajectory suggest it may escape the galaxy's gravitational pull.
Theories for its high velocity include a past supernova event or an encounter with black holes.
The star's low metal content indicates it is likely very old, possibly from the early Milky Way.