The deeper that astronomers peer into the universe, the stranger and more extreme it seems. New instruments and techniques have recently uncovered a whole new set of cosmic superlatives: objects whose size, age, or behavior go beyond anything seen before. Here is a sampling of the latest record holders.

Fastest Fugitive: This artist's rendering shows star HE 0437-5439, which is hurtling away from the Milky Way at 1.6 million miles per hour.