A rare celestial object, a hypervelocity L subdwarf, has been discovered at the boundary between stars and brown dwarfs. This object, named CWISE J124909.08+362116.0, was identified by citizen scientists participating in the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 program. It is traveling through space at an incredible speed of 456 kilometers per second, which is close to the escape velocity from the Milky Way galaxy. This makes it the first known hypervelocity, low-mass object of its kind.

The origin of this subdwarf is still a mystery, with several intriguing possibilities being explored. It could have been ejected from the Galactic center more than 3 billion years ago, or it might be the surviving companion of a supernova explosion. Another theory suggests it was accelerated by a close encounter with a black hole in a dense star cluster. The object's low metallicity and high speed indicate that it belongs to a very old population of stars, providing valuable insights into the dynamics and history of the Milky Way.

This discovery sheds light on the existence of high-speed, low-mass objects within our galaxy and suggests that there may be more such objects yet to be found. As the nearest hypervelocity low-mass star to the Sun, CWISE J124909.08+362116.0 presents a unique opportunity for further study, offering new perspectives on the extreme processes that can propel stars to such remarkable speeds.