Our Entire Galaxy Appears to Be Embedded in a Colossal Sheet of Dark Matter
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- New research published in Nature Astronomy suggests that the Milky Way and the Local Group of galaxies are embedded in a vast, extended "sheet" of dark matter flanked by cosmic voids, which may explain the unusual motions of nearby galaxies.
- The study addresses the longstanding puzzle of why the Andromeda galaxy is moving toward the Milky Way despite the Local Group's overall gravitational pull, by simulating the Local Group's evolution based on cosmic microwave background data.
- The simulation matched observed galaxy motions only when assuming the Local Group resides in a large, flat dark matter sheet millions of light years across, challenging the traditional view that dark matter halos are spherical.
- This sheet-like dark matter structure influences galaxy velocities not just by enclosed mass but also