8 Truly Terrifying Things In Outer Space
2. Hypervelocity Stars
What we have next are, quite literally, shooting stars. No, not the name given to the trail left by a meteorite entering the atmosphere, but actual, factual stars speeding their way through the cosmos.
As stated before in the entry on zombie stars, a good portion of stars in our universe travel in binary pairs. And as stated in the entry on the gigantic electrical current, most galaxies have a black hole situated in their centers.
That in mind, there are some instances in which a binary pair will get caught up in the gravitational pull of its galaxy's black hole. While one of these stars simply disappears into the void, the other is ejected out into space, as a result of the massive and sudden change in gravity, at speeds reaching 10,000 kilometers per second. They travel so fast that they are able to break free of gravity and travel about the universe without restraint.
Just imagine, if you would, being in the path of a massive sun careening through space that quickly. Imagine the devastation it could potentially cause to whatever poor planet lies in its sights. Because these stars are more than a concept: they are a reality.