Discovery of Galactic-centre-ejected star in DESI DR1
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Hypervelocity stars (HVSs) are stars ejected from the Galactic centre (GC) through tidal interactions with the central supermassive black hole. Formed in the immediate vicinity of Sgr A * , these stars are accelerated to velocities high enough to escape the GC and be observable in the Galactic halo. Using spectroscopy from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) and astrometry from Gaia , we conducted a six-dimensional search for HVSs and identified a compelling candidate, hereafter called DESI-312, whose bound trajectory can be confidently traced back to the central 2 kpc of our galaxy. The star resides in the inner halo and exhibits supersolar metallicity ( [Fe/H] = 0.27 ± 0.09), which makes it distinct from other known stellar populations with radial orbits. Its inferred GC ejection velocity of 698-27 is consistent with a Hills mechanism ejection, and suggests its origin lies in the innermost regions of the Milky Way. We considered alternative origins for the star, including disc ejections from young clusters and globular clusters, but these scenarios fail to explain both its orbit and metallicity. Unlike previously identified A- and B-type HVSs, DESI-312 is a ∼1 M ⊙ star on the main sequence or early sub-giant branch, which enables a detailed chemical analysis of its atmosphere and offers a rare window -unobscured by dust and crowding - into the composition of the central regions of the Galaxy.
Source: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,865
OpenAlex ID: W7153160495