RX J0822−4300

RX J0822−4300, often referred to as a "Cosmic Cannonball", is a radio-quiet neutron star currently moving away from the center of the Puppis A supernova remnant at over 3 million miles per hour (5 400 000 km/h; 1500 km/s; ~0.5% the speed of light), making it one of the fastest moving stars ever found. Astronomers used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to observe the star over a period of five years to determine its speed. At this velocity the star will be ejected from the galaxy millions of years from now.

RX J0822−4300

motion of the neutron star RX J0822−4300 from the Puppis A supernova event.
Observation data
Epoch 1952 (equinox J2000.0)[1]      Equinox 1952 (equinox J2000.0)[1]
Constellation Puppis
Right ascension  08h 23m 8.16s[2]
Declination −42° 41′ 41.4″[2]
Apparent magnitude (V) ~24[2]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)672 km/s
Distance2,000 pc
Galactic coordinates 260.3841 −03.4718
Other designations
PSR J0822−4300, 1RXS J082158.2−430022.
Database references
SIMBADdata

Although the cosmic cannonball is not the only hypervelocity star discovered, it is unique in the apparent origin of its speed. Others may have derived theirs from a gravitational slingshot around the Milky Way's suspected supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*. Current theories fail to explain how such speeds can be attained from a supernova explosion. It could be a possible quark star.

However, a more recent (2012) analysis by the same group yielded a more modest recoil velocity of 672±115 km/s which is much less problematic theoretically.[3]

See also

References
  1. Hui, C. Y.; Becker, W. (2006). "Probing the proper motion of the central compact object in Puppis-A with the Chandra high resolution camera". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 457 (3): L33. arXiv:astro-ph/0606750. Bibcode:2006A&A...457L..33H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20065941.
  2. Hui, C. Y.; Becker, W. (2006). "X-ray observations of RX J0822−4300 and Puppis-A" (PDF). Astronomy and Astrophysics. 454 (2): 543. arXiv:astro-ph/0508655. Bibcode:2006A&A...454..543H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20053554.
  3. Becker, Werner; Prinz, Tobias; Frank Winkler, P.; Petre, Robert (2012). "The Proper Motion of the Central Compact Object RX J0822-4300 in the Supernova Remnant Puppis A". arXiv:1204.3510 [astro-ph.HE].
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