Ghost Galaxy Has 99% Dark Matter, No Stars

    • Shreya
    • Publish Date: Aug 28 2016 1:26PM
    • |
    • Updated Date: Aug 28 2016 1:26PM
Ghost Galaxy Has 99% Dark Matter, No Stars


An international team of astronomers have discovered a galaxy next door, in terms of the scale of the universe, which consists entirely of dark matter. Dragonfly 44 lies in the Coma constellation and was overlooked until last year, when it was discovered, because of its unusual composition. It's about the size of the Milky Way but with far fewer stars.

“Very soon after its discovery, we realized this galaxy had to be more than meets the eye. It has so few stars that it would quickly be ripped apart unless something was holding it together,” said Yale University astronomer Pieter van Dokkum. 
The researchers said that velocity of stars is a good way to determine mass because the faster the stars move, the more mass its galaxy will have. “Amazingly, the stars move at velocities that are far greater than expected for such a dim galaxy. It means that Dragonfly 44 has a huge amount of unseen mass,” said co-author Roberto Abraham of the University of Toronto.
Scientists initially spotted Dragonfly 44 with the Dragonfly Telephoto Array, a telescope invented and built by van Dokkum and Abraham. They estimate the mass of Dragonfly 44 to be one trillion times the mass of the sun, which is similar to the mass of the Milky Way. However, what makes this galaxy different is that only one hundredth of 1% is in the form of stars and "normal matter". The other 99.99% is in the form of dark matter, a hypothesized material that remains unseen but may make up more than 90% of the universe.

Finding galaxies composed entirely of dark matter is not new for scientists but they note that most such galaxies are dwarf galaxies, that is, 10,000 times less massive than Dragonfly 44. 
“We have no idea how galaxies like Dragonfly 44 could have formed,” said Abraham. “The Gemini data show that a relatively large fraction of the stars is in the form of very compact clusters, and that is probably an important clue. But at the moment we’re just guessing.”
Scientists said the discovery of this galaxy could essentially change the theory on how galaxies are formed. Their findings are reported in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

What Do You Have To Say About This 'ghost galaxy'. Comment Below 
 
 
 

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Comments

Harini MS NAGARJUNA VIDYANIKETAN

The ''ghost galaxy'' is another fascinating tale of space. I''m really excited to know the results, for it''ll give me more knowledge as to how galaxies are formed, the question that has been in my mind since a really long time. Dragonfly 44 is going to satisfy many curious minds!!

NAVYA MALHOTRA SWARAJ INDIA PUBLIC SCHOOL

Unearthing the many obscurities of the cosmos - dragonfly 44 is just another part ......I hope someday we discover what dark matter actually is.....ghost galaxy- sounds amazing

Ritvik Baweja Bal Bharati Public School

It''s again a surprising achievement in the field of astronomy. Hope the results are extremely good. The Ghost galaxy will definitely be proved to be another astrological marvel

Mansvi bhavan vidyalaya

Its inevitable how quick we are advancing in the field of astronomy. everyday, there is something new discovered. i am sure it wouldn''t take long for astronomers to clear all their doubts and answer the questions of many young students with yet more intriguing discoveries. and of course, dragonfly 44 is another amazing proof of our marvelous advancements. i hope to hear more about it soon

Amish Agarwal Goldcrest High Vashi

I believe every galaxy, planet it astronomical phenomenon is unique in its own way. All new discoveries have revealed something unknown especially this ''ghost galaxy'' it''s formation seems quiet appealing to space lovers!

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