CX330: Galaxy's loneliest baby star discovered wandering far from stellar nurseries

By Marcus Strom
Updated August 3 2016 - 11:10pm, first published July 28 2016 - 1:44pm
CX330 was first detected as a source of X-ray light in 2009 by NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory while it was surveying the bulge in the central region of the Milky Way.  Photo: NASA/JPL, artist's impression
CX330 was first detected as a source of X-ray light in 2009 by NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory while it was surveying the bulge in the central region of the Milky Way. Photo: NASA/JPL, artist's impression
FU Orionis, a similar star to CX330, is a few hundred thousand years old. It is possible our sun also went through a period of intense brightening followed by dimming.
 Photo: NASA/JPL, artist's impression
FU Orionis, a similar star to CX330, is a few hundred thousand years old. It is possible our sun also went through a period of intense brightening followed by dimming. Photo: NASA/JPL, artist's impression

It's younger than humanity; a baby star barely a million years old wandering far from any stellar nursery.