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The brand-new dark galaxy prospect is controlled by dark matter and almost without light. Called Candidate Dark Galaxy-2 (CDG-2), the item includes 4 globular clusters and comes from the Perseus galaxy cluster. The discovery of CDG-2 difficulties astronomers’ understanding of how galaxies form and develop in the cosmic web, using a brand-new window into deep space’s most evasive compound, dark matter, which exceeds regular matter yet stays hidden.
CDG-2(rushed red circle )is controlled by dark matter and consists of just a sporadic scattering of stars. Image credit: NASA/ ESA/ Dayi Li, UToronto/ Joseph DePasquale, STScI.
” In the huge tapestry of deep space, many galaxies shine brilliantly throughout cosmic time and area,” stated University of Toronto astronomer David Li and his coworkers.
“Yet an uncommon class of galaxies stays almost undetectable– low-surface-brightness galaxies controlled by dark matter and including just a sporadic scattering of faint stars.”
“Detecting such faint galaxies is extremely hard.”
Utilizing innovative analytical methods, Dr. Li and co-authors recognized 10 formerly validated low-surface-brightness galaxies and 2 extra dark galaxy prospects by looking for tight groupings of globular clusters.
These clusters can signify the existence of a faint, covert excellent population.
To verify among the dark galaxy prospects, they utilized the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, ESA’s Euclid area observatory, and the ground-based Subaru Telescope in Hawaii.
Hubble’s high-resolution imaging exposed a close collection of 4 globular clusters in the Perseus cluster, a huge cluster of galaxies situated around 240 million light-years away in the constellation of Perseus.
Follow-up research studies utilizing Hubble, Euclid, and Subaru then exposed a faint, scattered radiance surrounding the star clusters– strong proof of an underlying galaxy.
“This is the very first galaxy spotted entirely through its globular cluster population,” Dr. Li stated.
“Under conservative presumptions, the 4 clusters represent the whole globular cluster population of CDG-2.”
Initial analysis recommends CDG-2 has the luminosity of approximately 6 million Sun-like stars, with the globular clusters representing 16% of its noticeable material.
Extremely, 99% of its mass, that includes both noticeable matter and dark matter, seems dark matter.
Much of its typical matter to allow star development was most likely removed away by gravitational interactions with other galaxies inside the Perseus cluster.
“CDG-2 might be the most globular cluster-dominated galaxy and possibly among the most dark matter-dominated galaxies ever found,” the astronomers concluded.
Their paper was released in June 2025 in the Astrophysical Journal Letters
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Dayi (David) Li et al2025. Prospect Dark Galaxy-2: Validation and Analysis of an Almost Dark Galaxy in the Perseus Cluster. ApJL 986, L18; doi: 10.3847/ 2041-8213/ adddab
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