BERKELEY, Calif., Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Astronomers report finding the first "dark galaxy" -- a black cloud of hydrogen gas and exotic particles, void of stars -- 2 million light years from Earth.
New Scientist magazine, in an exclusive report, said Joshua Simon, Timothy Robishaw and Leo Blitz of the University of California-Berkeley observed a cloud of hydrogen gas called HVC 127-41-330 using the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico.
The researchers said the cloud appears to be rotating so fast it would fall apart unless it contains a strong, hidden source of gravity. They argue the cloud must be at least 80 percent dark matter, a hypothetical invisible substance whose gravity is supposed to explain why many objects in the cosmos move as fast as they do.
New Scientist said if they are right, that could resolve a problem in dark matter theory. In our local group of galaxies, we know of only about 35 dwarf galaxies, but simulations of galaxy formation using dark matter suggest there should be about 500.
If most of these dwarfs are dark galaxies with no stars, New Scientist said that would explain why we have missed them until now.
