Something 'kicked' this hypervelocity star racing through the Milky Way at 1.3 million miles per hour

If you were attacked by a ravenous vampire star or were at risk of falling into two dueling black holes, you'd probably run, too! 

One of these terrifying scenarios is likely responsible for sending a low-mass star on the run through the Milky Way at a staggering million miles per hour (1.6 million kilometers per hour). That's about 1,500 times faster than the speed of sound.

The star is designated CWISE J124909+362116.0 (J1249+36) and was first detected by citizen Science volunteers with the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project, who are exploring the vast amount of data collected by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission over the course of almost a decade and a half. J1249+36 immediately stood out because of its immense velocity of specifically 1.3 million mph (2.1 million kph), which is almost three times as fast as the speed of the sun in its orbit around the heart of the Milky Way. The speed of this "hypervelocity" star is so great, in fact, that it is likely to escape our galaxy altogether.

Related: 'Vampire' stars that bleed their companions dry may have a hidden accomplice, new study reveals

To crack the secrets of this hypervelocity star, University of California, San Diego Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics Adam Burgasser turned to the W.M. Keck Observatory in Maunakea, Hawaii, aiming to observe its infrared spectrum. 

This investigation revealed that the star belongs to a class of the oldest stars in the Milky Way: L subdwarfs. These stars are very rare and remarkable because of their highly low masses and relatively cool temperatures. 

The team's spectral data was combined with a new set of atmospheric models created specifically to study L subdwarfs. This revealed J1249+36's position and velocity through the Milky Way. "This is where the source became very interesting," Burgasser said in a statement. "Its speed and trajectory showed that it was moving fast enough to potentially escape the Milky Way."