dark matter – Astronomy Now

A galactic mystery: The case of the missing dark matter

23 June 2021 Astronomy Now

Astronomers find an unusual “oddball” galaxy with much less dark matter that would be expected based on current ideas about galaxy formation.

Scientists precisely measure total amount of matter in the cosmos

28 September 2020 Astronomy Now

Astronomers come up with the best estimate yet for the total amount of normal and dark matter making up the universe.

Scientists ponder inconclusive data from dark matter experiment

21 June 2020 Astronomy Now

It’s not yet clear what, if anything, the XENON dark matter experiment may have detected during its recent run, but scientists are hopeful something new is in the offing.

High-stakes search in a galaxy cluster for an elusive particle

25 March 2020 Keith Cooper

A search within a distant galaxy cluster for ghost-like particles that could provide evidence for String Theory and be a candidate for mysterious dark matter has turned up nothing – so far.

Trail-blazing astronomer Vera Rubin honoured

8 January 2020 Astronomy Now

The observatory that will operate the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope has been renamed in honour of the late astronomer Vera Rubin.

Faint glow generated by galaxy clusters helps map dark matter

22 December 2018 Astronomy Now

By studying the faint glow produced by freely floating stars in mammoth galaxy clusters, astronomers may be able to map the distribution of dark matter in a more efficient manner.

New experiment to probe dark matter interactions

17 June 2018 Astronomy Now

A new experiment is proposed to measure dark matter interactions with normal matter, using ultra-precise observations of a binary pulsar to search for signs of a possible “fifth force” acting across the cosmos.

Is at least some dark matter electrically charged? Maybe

31 May 2018 Astronomy Now

The nature of dark matter, which makes up most of the material in the universe, is a profound mystery. But if at least a fraction of dark matter particles have a tiny electrical charge, it could help explain the early evolution of the cosmos, astronomers say.

Funding approved for sensitive dark matter detector

8 May 2018 Astronomy Now

The U.S. Department of Energy has approved funding for construction of the most sensitive detector ever built, located in a Canadian mine a mile down, to search for evidence of weakly interacting massive particles, or WIMPs, a leading dark matter candidate.

Super-cooled SQUIDs may help detect elusive dark matter

10 April 2018 Astronomy Now

Super-cooled quantum detectors have demonstrated the sensitivity needed to detect telltale microwave photons from dark matter axions, if they exist, kicking off the latest high-tech hunt for the elusive particles.