"Runaway 'Zombie' Star Escapes Home Cluster in Epic Rampage"

A massive "zombie" star, known as a white dwarf, has been observed moving at a speed of 22,000 miles per hour relative to the Hyades star cluster. This runaway white dwarf is providing valuable insights into the mysteries surrounding the cluster and the formation of white dwarfs. The discovery suggests that open star clusters may produce ultramassive white dwarfs more commonly than previously thought. The research, based on data from the Gaia spacecraft, has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal.