Galaxy

A recent study of the Small Magellanic Cloud has revealed that this nearby galaxy may actually be two galaxies that overlap from our point of view.

How do you introduce yourself, scientifically? I generally say that I’m an astronomer. More specifically, I’m an exoplanet astronomer, meaning I study planets that exist around other stars. In our solar system, all the planets orbit the Sun. I’m…

by Kerry McGowen Have you ever wondered how scientists hunt for alien life on other planets? What are they looking for? Before jumping straight into the search for aliens, scientists look for planets that could support alien life in the first…

by Sasha Brownsberger figures by Abagail Burrus Everything you have ever touched, seen, or tasted; the air you breathe; the ground on which you stand; and the constituents of your body all consist of a type of matter that is only a fraction of all that…

Historically, galactic rotation curves have suggested that galaxies are surrounded by a vast amount of invisible matter, otherwise known as a dark matter halo. A few weeks ago, a team of astrophysicists published a result that completely contradicts…

Astronomers used the Gemini Telescope to photograph Dragonfly 44, an ultra diffuse galaxy comprised of almost entirely dark matter. Last week, astronomers announced the discovery of a galaxy that is almost entirely comprised of dark matter. At first…