Superfast star found leaving Milky Way at 1,700km per second

Astronomers say S5-HVs1 ventured close to supermassive black hole before being ejected

Astronomers have spotted a star heading out of the Milky Way at more than 6m km/h (3.7m mph), or 1,700km per second, after an encounter with the supermassive black hole at the centre of the galaxy.

The star is moving so fast that in about 100m years it will exit the Milky Way and spend the rest of its life sailing alone through intergalactic space. Although it was predicted 30 years ago that black holes could fling stars out of the galaxy at phenomenal speeds, it is the first time that such an event has been recorded.