Astronomers may have discovered a previously unknown type of astronomical object, nicknamed “Cloud-9,” that could shed light on dark matter, one of the biggest mysteries in the universe.
Dark matter is an enigmatic substance that shapes the cosmos and provides it with structure. While it has never been directly observed, dark matter is believed to make up 85% of the total matter in the universe and can be detected due to its gravitational effects.
Cloud-9 is thought to be a dark matter cloud that could be a remnant of galaxy formation from the early days of the universe, according to new research published Monday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
“This cloud is a window into the dark Universe,” study coauthor Andrew Fox, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, said in a statement.
“We know from theory that most of the mass in the Universe is expected to be dark matter, but it’s difficult to detect this dark material because it doesn’t emit light. Cloud-9 gives us a rare look at a dark-matter-dominated cloud,” added Fox, who is affiliated with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA).
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