An artist's rendition of a star cluster.HARVARD-SMITHSONIAN CENTER FOR ASTROPHYSICS
Posted on 05/03/2014 9:30:01 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Astronomers say they have discovered a star cluster that has been thrown in the direction of Earth at a speed of more than two million miles per hour.
The cluster, named HVGC-1, originated in the M87 galaxy and is expected to endlessly drift through space, rocketing through the voids between other galaxies.
"Astronomers have found runaway stars before, but this is the first time we've found a runaway star cluster," said Nelson Caldwell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who is the lead author on a study which is set to be published in the The Astrophysical Journal.
HVGC stands for hypervelocity globular cluster. These clusters are groupings of thousands of stars contained inside a ball a few dozen light-years across.
The team found HVGC-1 using the MMT Telescope in Arizona after spending years studying the space around M87. A computer then calculated the speed of the cluster.
"We didn't expect to find anything moving that fast," said Jay Strader of Michigan State University, who is a co-author of the study.
The Milky Way Galaxy holds around 150 globular clusters, while the M87 galaxy holds thousands, according to a news release from Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
Astronomers believe HVGC-1 could have reached its current speed after passing through two supermassive black holes at the center of M87, which acted like a slingshot, flinging the cluster away.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
An artist's rendition of a star cluster.HARVARD-SMITHSONIAN CENTER FOR ASTROPHYSICS
I have TheOldLady to thank for this one. :’) Extra to APoD.
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Quick! Sign that guy up to our team!
Seen the article at sciencedaily.com. That is one cosmic curveball to say the least.
passed through two black holes?
WTF?
Their initials are BO and RL.
well, if this guy’s coming right at us....
we may as well enjoy today (despite the crooks and enemy agents in WashDC)
since they gonna take over a smashed=up earth, anyway...
all they gonna wind up with is rubble, debris, and space dust
Its the weekend, ENJOY!
(Apres moi, le deluge)
Better sell stock in insurance companies on Monday. This will do a lot of damage here on earth!
My pleasure, Mr. Civilizations.
Maybe this is the quickest way to travel between galaxies. Just flung a star cluster out.
It’s the Borg, and we are so dead when they get here.
I’ve always had an avid interest in what goes on “out there”, and watch every offering on the subject on TV, as well-and I thought there was agreement that the speed limit in the universe was the speed of light, as per Einstein’s findings-have I missed something?
You will be assimilated-resistance is futile...
You have to really T somebody off to have that happen.
WTF? likely meant between. At one time, the publisher would have had copy editors.
“a star cluster” ... “a dozen light years across” ... is heading for Earth ... and this broad cluster ... “is expected to endlessly drift through space” ... “rocketing.”
Doesn’t really sound like it will:
a) drift
b) endlessly
Given its speed of “more than two million miles per hour” and that it’s *not* “generally in the direction of earth” but *IN THE DIRECTION of earth.*
Given how broad the cluster is, it sounds like earth is pretty much in the path.
Given that, “endlessly” also does not sound likely?!
No mention of how many light years away, or an ETA?
One Light year is 10 trillion Km so yea I’d say Mother Earth may need a net!
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