Astronomers use a trail of stars beyond the Milky Way to map a distant galaxy’s dark matter

Astronomers have found a new method to map dark matter in distant galaxies. This breakthrough comes from observing a trail of stars, or stellar stream, that is unraveling under the influence of dark matter. The stream is part of a globular cluster, a dense collection of stars, located beyond the Milky Way. This is the first time such a stellar stream has been observed outside our galaxy.

The discovery was made possible by the unique properties of this stellar stream. As the cluster unravels, it leaves behind a trail of stars that can be traced and mapped. This trail provides a new tool for astronomers to study the distribution and effects of dark matter. The findings were published in Nature, with additional reporting from CNN, Phys.org, and The Debrief.

The open question is how this new method will advance our understanding of dark matter. The trail of stars offers a direct way to observe the effects of dark matter, which has previously been inferred through its gravitational effects on visible matter. The next steps involve further study of this stellar stream and the application of this method to other globular clusters.