Why is the star Mira moving so fast?

Question

URLs to reference:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/galex/20070815
http://www.galex.caltech.edu/MEDIA/2007-04

Answer 1

There is much discussion today on the email list of the American Association of Variable Star Observers. This is a very new discovery, and is not fully explained as yet, but those in the know are working on it. To quote Arne Henden, director of the AAVSO:

"Personally, this is the coolest image since we first saw V838 Mon with HST. I haven't read the full article yet, but intend to find a copy of Nature this weekend.

"It is unlikely to be interstellar medium, since that would imply a very dense medium that would be obvious in the spectra (but I predict someone will come up with a plausible model for ISM rather than mass loss). Mass loss from the host star is a much more likely scenario to me, since we know that most LPVs have mass-loss episodes. Brian Skiff has posted the best estimates of the space velocity, and the 2-degree-long tail will give us a lot of information about the "recent" time history of mass loss from Mira.

"However, I think an interpretation of the tail emission mechanism will take some time. There will be deep imagery taken with just about every telescope and wavelength for a while; spectra of the brighter blobs, etc. So once more data is accumulated, we might see reasonable models. I love it when one of our old standards shows how unpredictable the sky really is."

Answer 2

When I first saw those pictures earlier today, the first thing I thought of was not the star moving and leaving a 'vapor trail' but some ver strong galactic 'wind' blowing the stuff away from the star. Now, they are saying the star is the object with the rapid proper motion?

If it is the star moving so rapidly, why is is moving so fast? The answer can only be: gravity. A long time ago some other massive object pulled it away from where it was, or continues to pull it today.

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Answer 3

It was probably ejected from a multistar system which contained two or more giant stars.

Answer 4

idk did you try to look t up on google to hear what scientists have to say about it moving so fast?