Space just got a little weirder. Imagine spotting a red-glowing, super-fast sphere hurtling through space at over 1.6 million kilometers per hour — fast enough to eventually escape our galaxy. That’s exactly what NASA and a few space-loving volunteers recently discovered. This object, named CWISE J1249, has left scientists scratching their heads. Is it a star? A planet? Or something in between?
Let’s cut into what makes this mysterious space traveler so special.
Table of Contents
Mystery
So, what exactly is CWISE J1249? Well, it’s big — about 30,000 times bigger than Earth — yet it only has around 8% of the Sun’s mass. That’s a strange combo. It’s not heavy enough to be a full-fledged star, but it’s way bigger than a planet. That lands it in a gray zone. Scientists believe it might be a brown dwarf, which is sort of a failed star. Not quite a star, not quite a planet — kind of like a cosmic misfit.
Brown dwarfs don’t have enough mass to kickstart nuclear fusion like stars do, but they’re still glowing with heat and light. That’s why J1249 is red and glowing. But this one is different — not just in its mass or color, but in how fast it’s moving.
Speed
Let’s talk about speed. CWISE J1249 is flying at nearly 1 million miles per hour. That’s over 2.6 times faster than the Parker Solar Probe, the fastest spacecraft humans have ever launched. And unlike the probe, which needed help from the Sun’s gravity, this object is doing it all on its own.
To put that into perspective, most stars move much slower. Out of every 1,000 stars, maybe one or two are moving at this kind of speed. If J1249 keeps it up, it’ll eventually leave the Milky Way — forever. And in cosmic time, that’s not even far off. It could be gone in a few million years, which is just a blink compared to the lifespan of most stars.
Here’s a quick comparison:
| Object | Speed (km/h) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CWISE J1249 | 1,600,000 | May leave the galaxy |
| Parker Solar Probe | 600,000 | Fastest man-made object |
| Earth (orbital speed) | 107,000 | Around the Sun |
| Average Star Speed | 20,000–80,000 | In the Milky Way |
Origin
Why is it moving so fast? That’s the big question. Scientists don’t know for sure, but they have a few ideas. One theory is that it used to be part of a double star system. If its partner exploded in a supernova, the blast could’ve kicked J1249 out at super speed. Think of it like a slingshot in space.
Another idea is that it passed near a couple of massive black holes. The intense gravitational pull could have flung it outward like a rock in a cosmic pinball machine. Either way, something gave it a mighty shove, and it’s been speeding away ever since.
Discovery
Here’s the cool part: this wasn’t just a NASA-only discovery. The first people to spot CWISE J1249 weren’t even professional astronomers. They were citizen scientists — regular folks using NASA’s Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project.
Three volunteers, Martin Kabatnik, Thomas P. Bickle, and Dan Caselden, were checking infrared images from NASA’s WISE telescope when they noticed something odd. A dim dot was moving quickly across the sky. That faint glow turned out to be this mysterious object. They flagged it, and professional astronomers confirmed the discovery.
These volunteers didn’t just help find it — they’re listed as co-authors on the official scientific paper. That’s a pretty cool achievement for a side hobby.
Impact
So, what does this all mean? First off, CWISE J1249 is about 400 light-years away, so it’s not heading toward us. It’s not a threat, but it is a clue. A big one.
It tells scientists that the universe has some serious surprises left. An object like this — fast, faint, and in-between star and planet — could change how we understand brown dwarfs, star systems, and galactic motion.
It also shows that you don’t need a fancy degree or a high-powered telescope to make a real discovery. You just need curiosity and a good eye. If three volunteers can find something zooming out of the galaxy, maybe the next discovery could be yours.
As strange as this red, glowing sphere is, it’s a reminder that space is still full of mystery. And we’re just getting started unraveling it.
FAQs
What is CWISE J1249?
A fast-moving brown dwarf discovered by NASA and volunteers.
How fast is it moving?
About 1.6 million kilometers per hour.
Can it leave our galaxy?
Yes, it’s moving fast enough to escape the Milky Way.
Who discovered it?
Three NASA volunteers using sky images from WISE.
Is it dangerous to Earth?
No, it’s 400 light-years away and poses no threat.
