For 15 years, scientists have been exploring an intriguing enigma within our galaxy.

In 2011, a survey of the Milky Way aimed at discovering **exoplanets**—worlds outside our solar system—uncovered an odd signal. Two objects seemed to be moving in tandem, with one having a mass **2,300 times greater** than the other. Researchers speculated this could be a **rogue planet** accompanied by a moon or a minor star hosting an orbiting planet.

Recently, scholars revisited this conundrum using information from Hawaii’s **Keck Observatory** and the **European Space Agency’s Gaia satellite**, which has charted billions of entities in our galaxy. They believe they have pinpointed the same duo, now situated **24,000 light-years away** near the Milky Way’s core.

### An Unprecedented Velocity

What makes this finding even more remarkable is the **extraordinary speed** at which the pair is moving. By examining their positional shifts from 2011 to 2021, researchers estimate the duo is traveling at **1.3 million miles per hour (600 kilometers per second)**—swift enough to break free from the Milky Way’s gravitational grip.

“If accurate, the planetary system is set to journey through intergalactic space many millions of years ahead,” **NASA** remarked.

If verified, this would establish a new benchmark for the **fastest identified exoplanet system**, moving nearly **twice as fast** as our solar system orbits the Milky Way.

The results were recently released in *The Astronomical Journal*.

### What Is This Enigmatic Pair?

Astronomers hypothesize that the high-speed pair comprises a **gaseous exoplanet** larger than **Neptune** but smaller than **Jupiter**.

“We believe this to be a so-called **super-Neptune** world surrounding a low-mass star at a distance similar to that between Venus and Earth in our solar system,” stated **Sean Terry**, a researcher at NASA’s **Goddard Space Flight Center**. “If confirmed, it will be the first planet ever discovered orbiting a hypervelocity star.”

### What Comes Next?

To determine whether this is indeed the same duo identified in 2011, astronomers aim to observe it again in approximately a year. If the pair continues to move at its anticipated high velocity, they can assert with confidence that it’s the **hypervelocity star-planet system**. Conversely, if the star seems to have decelerated, it could indicate that the initial detection was actually a **rogue exoplanet with an exomoon**.

Stay tuned—this cosmic enigma is far from resolved! 🚀