tech
Astronomers discover galaxy made of 99% dark matter
Astronomers have spotted a galaxy so faint, it’s almost invisible — a discovery that could help illuminate one of the most elusive substances in the universe.
TL;DR
- Astronomers have discovered a galaxy named CDG-2, which is extremely faint and possibly composed of at least 99.9% dark matter.
- The discovery was made using the Hubble Space Telescope and a novel method focusing on globular clusters, which are dense groupings of old stars.
- CDG-2 is believed to have formed when surrounding galaxies stripped it of gas, preventing further star formation and leaving it with mostly dark matter and a few globular clusters.
- Studying such galaxies is important because they offer a cleaner probe of dark matter physics, with minimal interference from ordinary matter.
- Further observations, potentially with the James Webb Space Telescope, are needed to confirm CDG-2's composition and properties.