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Will we know what Dark Matter is before 2050?

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope discovered a cosmic object called Cloud-9, described as a "failed galaxy" located 14 million light-years from Earth. The object is a cloud of dark matter that contains no stars, marking the first confirmed detection of such an object.

Hubble

Space Telescope Science Institute

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope discovered a cosmic object called Cloud-9, described as a "failed galaxy" located 14 million light-years from Earth. The object is a cloud of dark matter that contains no stars, marking the first confirmed detection of such an object.

Cloud-9 is scientifically known as a Reionization-Limited H I Cloud, or "RELHIC," where H I refers to neutral hydrogen. Scientists believe it represents a primordial building block of a galaxy that never fully formed stars, preserving conditions from the universe's earliest eras.

Cloud-9 is scientifically known as a Reionization-Limited H I Cloud, or "RELHIC," where H I refers to neutral hydrogen. Scientists believe it represents a primordial building block of a galaxy that never fully formed stars, preserving conditions from the universe's earliest eras.

The object's core consists of neutral hydrogen spanning approximately 4,900 light-years across, with gas mass estimated at roughly one million times that of the Sun. Calculations indicate the entire structure contains approximately five billion solar masses of dark matter.

The object's core consists of neutral hydrogen spanning approximately 4,900 light-years across, with gas mass estimated at roughly one million times that of the Sun. Calculations indicate the entire structure contains approximately five billion solar masses of dark matter.

Cloud-9 was first identified in 2023 during a radio survey by China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, with follow-up observations from the Green Bank Telescope and Very Large Array. Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys confirmed the absence of stars within the cloud.

Cloud-9 was first identified in 2023 during a radio survey by China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, with follow-up observations from the Green Bank Telescope and Very Large Array. Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys confirmed the absence of stars within the cloud.

The discovery is said to provide scientists a rare opportunity to study a dark matter-dominated cloud without light interference from stars. Andrew Fox from the European Space Agency (ESA) noted that Cloud-9 serves as "a window into the dark universe," helping researchers understand the invisible material comprising most cosmic mass.

The discovery is said to provide scientists a rare opportunity to study a dark matter-dominated cloud without light interference from stars. Andrew Fox from the European Space Agency (ESA) noted that Cloud-9 serves as "a window into the dark universe," helping researchers understand the invisible material comprising most cosmic mass.

Cloud-9 appears physically associated with the nearby spiral galaxy Messier 94, with high-resolution radio data suggesting subtle gravitational interaction. The object exists in a narrow mass range where it can persist without collapsing to form stars or dispersing its gas entirely.

Cloud-9 appears physically associated with the nearby spiral galaxy Messier 94, with high-resolution radio data suggesting subtle gravitational interaction. The object exists in a narrow mass range where it can persist without collapsing to form stars or dispersing its gas entirely.

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Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope discovered a cosmic object called Cloud-9, described as a failed galaxy located 14 million light-years from Earth. The object is a cloud of dark matter that contains no stars, marking the first confirmed detection of such an object.

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope discovered a cosmic object called Cloud-9, described as a failed galaxy located 14 million light-years from Earth. The object is a cloud of dark matter that contains no stars, marking the first confirmed detection of such an object.

Cloud-9 is scientifically known as a Reionization-Limited H I Cloud, or RELHIC, where H I refers to neutral hydrogen. Scientists believe it represents a primordial building block of a galaxy that never fully formed stars, preserving conditions from the universe's earliest eras.

Cloud-9 is scientifically known as a Reionization-Limited H I Cloud, or RELHIC, where H I refers to neutral hydrogen. Scientists believe it represents a primordial building block of a galaxy that never fully formed stars, preserving conditions from the universe's earliest eras.

STScI

The discovery provides scientists a rare opportunity to study a dark matter-dominated cloud without light interference from stars. Andrew Fox noted that Cloud-9 serves as "a window into the dark universe," helping researchers understand the invisible material comprising most cosmic mass.

The discovery provides scientists a rare opportunity to study a dark matter-dominated cloud without light interference from stars. Andrew Fox noted that Cloud-9 serves as "a window into the dark universe," helping researchers understand the invisible material comprising most cosmic mass.

Cloud-9 represents a groundbreaking discovery that validates decades of theoretical predictions about dark matter halos that never formed galaxies. This starless gas cloud proves astronomers' understanding of hierarchical galaxy formation is correct, demonstrating that not every dark matter halo successfully births stars. The failed galaxy offers an unprecedented window into the dark universe and early cosmic epochs.

Cloud-9 represents a groundbreaking discovery that validates decades of theoretical predictions about dark matter halos that never formed galaxies. This starless gas cloud proves astronomers' understanding of hierarchical galaxy formation is correct, demonstrating that not every dark matter halo successfully births stars. The failed galaxy offers an unprecedented window into the dark universe and early cosmic epochs.

The RELHIC classification remains premature without discovering similar objects to confirm Cloud-9 isn't just an anomaly. Its irregular shape contradicts theoretical expectations for such pristine remnants, and alternative explanations like circumgalactic gas interactions haven't been definitively ruled out. Confirming absolute starlessness proves nearly impossible given observational limits.

The RELHIC classification remains premature without discovering similar objects to confirm Cloud-9 isn't just an anomaly. Its irregular shape contradicts theoretical expectations for such pristine remnants, and alternative explanations like circumgalactic gas interactions haven't been definitively ruled out. Confirming absolute starlessness proves nearly impossible given observational limits.

Hubble Discovers First Starless 'Failed Galaxy' Cloud-9

Science & technology

Cloud-9 matters because it provides strong new evidence that dark matter exists even where no galaxy ever formed. By showing a massive cloud of gas shaped by gravity but containing no stars — a so-called “failed galaxy” — Hubble reveals a structure that can only be held together by unseen mass. This confirms a core prediction of dark-matter theory: that the universe is filled with invisible dark-matter halos, many of which never became galaxies at all.

Cloud-9 matters because it provides strong new evidence that dark matter exists even where no galaxy ever formed. By showing a massive cloud of gas shaped by gravity but containing no stars — a so-called “failed galaxy” — Hubble reveals a structure that can only be held together by unseen mass. This confirms a core prediction of dark-matter theory: that the universe is filled with invisible dark-matter halos, many of which never became galaxies at all.

There's a 54% chance that we will know what Dark Matter is before 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

There's a 54% chance that we will know what Dark Matter is before 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Hubble Discovers First Starless 'Failed Galaxy' Cloud-9

Hubble Discovers First Starless 'Failed Galaxy' Cloud-9

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Hubble Discovers First Starless 'Failed Galaxy' Cloud-9

Hubble Discovers First Starless 'Failed Galaxy' Cloud-9

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