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A research team, led by astronomers from National Astronomical Observatories of Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC), has discovered 591 high velocity stars based on data from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) and Gaia, and 43 of them can even escape from the Galaxy.

After the first high-velocity star was discovered in 2005, over 550 ones have been discovered with multiple telescopes in 15 years. "The 591 high-velocity stars discovered this time doubled the total number previously discovered, bringing the current total number exceeding 1,000," said Dr. Li Yinbi, lead author of the study.

High-velocity stars are kind of fast-moving stars, and they can even escape from the Galaxy. "Though rare in the Milky Way, high-velocity stars, with unique kinematics, can provide deep insight into a wide range of Galactic science, from the central supermassive black hole to distant Galactic halo," said Prof. LU Youjun from NAOC, a co-author of this paper.

LAMOST, the largest optical telescope in China, has the highest spectral acquisition rate in the world and can observe about 4,000 celestial targets in one single exposure. It began regular surveys in 2012, and established the largest spectra database in the world.