When searching for the unknown, classic physics wisdom holds that a bigger detector boosts the chances of discovery. A physicist is taking that advice to heart, advancing a bold plan to use none other than Ganymede—Jupiter’s largest moon—as a dark matter detector on an astronomical scale. Dark matter refers to the “invisible” mass that supposedly […]
Dozens of ‘Ghost Galaxies’ Are Orbiting the Milky Way, Astronomers Suspect
The Lambda Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) theory suggests that most galaxies are low-mass dwarf galaxies, many of which orbit larger galaxies like the Milky Way. More broadly, the LCDM represents our best understanding of how the universe works. But there’s a problem. According to the theory, the Milky Way should have significantly more satellite galaxies […]
Wicked High-Definition Image of the Cosmic Web Shows the Universe’s Dark Matter Scaffolding
Researchers compiled hundreds of astronomical observations into a high-definition image of a cosmic filament, part of the megastructure that undergirds the universe’s matter. The filament connects two galaxies that date back to when the universe was a youthful 2 billion years old (it is now about 13.77 billion years old). It showcases the way a […]