Space & Astronomy

'First ever image of dark matter' revealed

By T.K. Randall
April 13, 2017 ·  2 comments
The existence of this enigmatic form of matter, which is thought to account for up to 85% of the mass of the universe, remains one of the most important unsolved mysteries in modern physics.

Even observing dark matter directly has proven to be a challenge, but now two researchers at the University of Waterloo believe that they have succeeded in creating a composite image showing dark matter filaments bridging two galaxies located 4.5 billion light years away.

This image shows how dark matter binds galaxies together in a giant cosmic web https://t.co/C8xvL6zVbX pic.twitter.com/DWxkk6z3fB

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) April 12, 2017

The impressive image took advantage of a technique known as weak gravitational lensing which causes the appearance of distant objects to warp slightly under the influence of an unseen mass.

"For decades, researchers have been predicting the existence of dark-matter filaments between galaxies that act like a web-like superstructure connecting galaxies together," said study author Mike Hudson, an astronomy professor at the University of Waterloo.

"This image moves us beyond predictions to something we can see and measure."

Source: EarthSky.org | Comments (2)

Tags: Dark Matter