Citizen Scientists Discover a High-Speed Cosmic Escape Artist: CWISE J1249
The vastness of the cosmos, teeming with enigmatic celestial objects, often seems beyond the reach of the average individual. But recent advancements in astronomy and the power of online collaboration have allowed anyone with an internet connection to play a crucial role in exploring the universe. This is exemplified by the remarkable discovery of CWISE J1249, a celestial object zipping through the Milky Way at an astounding one million miles per hour, a find made possible by the dedicated efforts of amateur astronomers participating in the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project.
A Galactic Mystery Unraveled
The Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project, a citizen science initiative hosted on the Zooniverse platform, allows volunteers to sift through images captured by NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). WISE, a space telescope that observed the sky in infrared wavelengths between 2009 and 2011, captured an enormous amount of data, allowing researchers to study objects beyond the visible light spectrum. The images presented to citizen scientists are processed from WISE data, highlighting potential objects of interest, such as brown dwarfs, low-mass stars, and even the elusive hypothesized ninth planet.
The task for volunteers is rather simple: by comparing sets of images taken about five years apart, they identify objects that exhibit movement, as stationary stars would appear unchanged. In one such series of images, Tom Bickle, Martin Kabatnik, and Austin Rothermich noticed a distinct object moving across the frames. This discovery, reported through the Backyard Worlds portal, sparked the attention of professional astronomers.
Following up on the citizen scientists’ findings, astronomers used the Near-Infrared Echellette Spectrometer telescope at the University of Hawaii to further examine the object, now designated CWISE J1249. The data collected by the team, which included researchers from NASA, UC San Diego, and other universities, revealed a fascinating cosmic mystery: CWISE J1249 is racing through the Milky Way at a speed exceeding any known star or brown dwarf in the galaxy’s disc.
A High-Speed Galactic Escapee
"Its unique trajectory and speed are unlike anything we’ve seen before," stated researchers in a pre-print paper published on arXiv, awaiting publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. The object’s trajectory suggests that it is not bound by the Milky Way’s gravitational pull and is on a course to eventually escape into intergalactic space.
The object’s speed and trajectory, combined with its composition, offer a tantalizing glimpse into its intriguing past. CWISE J1249 appears to contain less iron and other metals compared to other known stars and brown dwarfs. This suggests that the object is remarkably old, potentially dating back to the early days of the Milky Way.
Possible Origins: A Cosmic Slingshot or a Black Hole Encounter?
The object’s incredible velocity has led researchers to explore various scenarios that could explain its trajectory. One possibility suggests that CWISE J1249 was once part of a binary star system, where a supernova event catapulted it out of its original orbit. Alternatively, the object might have originated within a globular cluster, a dense assembly of stars, and undergone a close encounter with a pair of black holes. Such an encounter could have generated significant gravitational forces, flinging the object out of the cluster and towards the galaxy’s edge.
Citizen Scientists Contribute to Discovery
The discovery of CWISE J1249 highlights the pivotal role citizen scientists play in furthering our understanding of the cosmos. Bickle, Kabatnik, and Rothermich, through their dedication and meticulous observation, identified an object that would likely have remained undiscovered without their involvement. Their contribution is recognized through their names being included in the study’s author list, a testament to the impact of citizen science in astronomical research.
Implications for Future Research
The discovery of CWISE J1249 raises numerous questions about the history and evolution of the Milky Way. It further underscores the immense diversity of objects within our galaxy and the ever-expanding frontiers of knowledge in astronomy. This remarkable finding, made possible through the collaborative efforts of professional scientists and citizen scientists, serves as a powerful reminder of the potential for collaboration and discovery in exploring the mysteries of our universe.
The investigation into CWISE J1249 is far from over. Future research will focus on further characterizing this cosmic escape artist, revealing its precise nature and its origins. This ongoing exploration is sure to yield new insights into the processes that shape our galaxy and provide valuable information about the evolution of our own planet and solar system. The future of astronomical exploration lies not just in sophisticated instruments and powerful telescopes, but also in the collective efforts of individuals passionate about unraveling the secrets of the cosmos. As the universe expands, so too does our understanding of it, thanks to the relentless pursuit of knowledge and the dedication of researchers, both professional and amateur, working together to forge new frontiers of discovery.
