Supermassive black hole illustration via NASAJPL
Experimenting with RedOrbit’s reblog function, I discovered this story about hypervelocity stars, informally known as exiled stars. You’ve probably noticed that I’m fond enough of exiled stars to name my blog after ’em. Both astronomers mentioned in the story are women. Also, there’s some neat animated graphics that show how exiled stars are cast out of the galaxy by black holes.
Support women in science and see neat space stuff. Double win.
Astronomers Find Hypervelocity Stars Ejected From The Galactic Core (via redOrbit)
It’s very difficult to kick a star out of the galaxy. In fact, the primary mechanism that astronomers have come up with that can give a star the two-million-plus mile-per-hour kick it takes requires a close encounter with the supermassive black hole at the galaxy’s core. So far astronomers have…
Exiled Stardust 