“`html
Concealed at the core of the broken circle lies Cloud-9 — an uncommon instance of a ‘stillborn galaxy’ overflowing with hydrogen and dark matter, yet lacking evident stars. (Image credit: NASA, ESA. G. Anand (STScI), and A. Benitez-Llambay (Univ. of Milan-Bicocca); Image processing: J. DePasquale (STScI))ShareShare by:
- Copy link
- X
Share this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletter
Using the Hubble Space Telescope, space experts have just identified a novel kind of cosmic entity: Cloud-9, a gas-laden, star-absent cloud of dark matter that possessed marginally insufficient mass to evolve into a fully formed galaxy.
As specified in a report issued Nov. 10 within The Astrophysical Journal Letters and showcased this week during the 247th gathering of the American Astronomical Society situated in Phoenix, this peculiar entity resides beyond 14 million light-years distant from our planet, adjacent to the spiral galaxy Messier 94 (M94). Cloud-9 represents a cosmic vestige, a fundamental antecedent to galaxies which substantiates the crucial mass boundary necessary for a cluster of gas and dark matter to compress into galactic form.
Consequently, the unveiling of Cloud-9 lends potent backing to a foundation of the dominant cosmological structure engineered to elucidate the universe’s architecture and makeup — the Lambda cold dark matter model (LCDM). One of the foremost forecasts of the framework involves dark matter accumulating within halos, which may or may not swell sufficiently to secure galaxies.
You may like
-
Record-breaking ‘dark object’ found hiding within a warped ‘Einstein ring’ 10 billion light-years away
-
‘Puzzling’ object discovered by James Webb telescope may be the earliest known galaxy in the universe
-
Did a NASA telescope really ‘see’ dark matter? Strange gamma-rays spark bold claims, but scientists urge caution
“These ‘dark halos’ should be abundant, yet the majority do not hold any hydrogen gas, and therefore, stay undetectable,” Deep Anand, astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and the study’s premier author, shared with Live Science through electronic mail. “Cloud-9 exists near the peak of the dark halo mass spectrum, enabling it to safeguard its gas, and thus permitting its visibility via radio assessments. This genuinely represents a compelling endorsement of a key estimate from LCDM.”
As a result, Cloud-9 presents the preliminary suggestion of proof that the cosmos might burst with small dark matter halos that stay vacant of stars, just as hypotheses propose.
Unearthing a cosmic antique
Astronomers first observed Cloud-9 three years prior utilizing the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) situated in Guizhou, China. The expansive radio apparatus has demonstrated itself to be “highly fruitful in spotting parallel clouds” and holds potential to uncover additional examples down the line, as stated to Live Science by co-author Andrew Fox, who also serves as an astronomer at STScI, via email.
Leading up to this, the research cohort employed the Very Large Array, a compilation of 28 instruments established in New Mexico, to center their focus on the crest of Cloud-9’s radio emissions, originating from its nucleus that stretches 5,000 light-years in breadth. Regardless, such evaluations did not yield a definitive diagnosis of the entity’s real essence, potentially attributed to constraints in the device’s receptive abilities. The scholars entertained the possibility that Cloud-9 could just be a pedestrian dwarf galaxy, too faint to gain adequate notice from earthbound observatories.
Nonetheless, as elucidated within the recent analysis, a further examination conducted with the Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys exposed a substantially less common manifestation, one that astronomers had ardently pursued across numerous years: a “theoretical ghostly entity” and the inaugural endorsed RELHIC, otherwise known as Reionization-Limited H I Cloud. In essence, a cluster of neutral hydrogen, a remnant from the cosmos’ nascent stage and a remarkable “gateway into the shadowy universe,” Fox asserted within a public declaration issued by NASA.
The identification of hydrogen served as a validation indicating Cloud-9 transcended the characteristics of a conventional dwarf galaxy, signaling its place as something more extraordinary.
Cloud-9 was located in this section of space, about 2,000 light-years distant from Earth. The question of galactic existence
The exploring team analyzed the gas composition of Cloud-9, using radio waves as their mode of detection, and observed that gas contributes roughly one million solar masses to the enigmatic entity. In isolation, this magnitude fails to sustain the cohesion of such a vast gaseous form. As such, while postulating that equilibrium between gravity, gas pressure, and gas heating binds the framework together, calculations point to a dark matter element within Cloud-9 amassing close to five billion solar masses, as determined by the group.
You may like
-
Record-breaking ‘dark object’ found hiding within a warped ‘Einstein ring’ 10 billion light-years away
-
‘Puzzling’ object discovered by James Webb telescope may be the earliest known galaxy in the universe
-
Did a NASA telescope really ‘see’ dark matter? Strange gamma-rays spark bold claims, but scientists urge caution
This mass is positioned “remarkably close” to the critical mass boundary previously hypothesized independent of this find. Precisely at this boundary, Cloud-9 narrowly lacks ample mass for gravitational implosion toward becoming a full galaxy, while sufficiently weighty—owing to its dark matter content—for self-preservation.
Additionally, Cloud-9 exists in a state of thermal equivalence with the cosmic ultraviolet (UV) background radiation, constituted by the collective UV radiance emanated from the cosmos’ constellation of stars, energetic black holes, and thermally active gas. This radiation sustains gas ionization, resulting in electrical charge, and relative heating, thus preventing the genesis of galaxies. This influence is also contributory in ensuring the complete absence of stars inside this cloud.
The researchers, nonetheless, reach the conclusion that Cloud-9’s destiny may not irreversibly lead towards unending darkness. Possibilities remain that it will accumulate adequate mass for galaxy status, although the exact procedural dynamics permitting this remain in the sphere of conjecture.
Regardless of its eventual trajectory, Cloud-9 acts as a tangible benchmark, establishing that the prevailing models of dark matter, as well as concepts concerning galaxy formation, stand on credible grounding.
An exceptional relic from the ancient universe
Future investigations will seek out extinguished galaxies sharing similarities with Cloud-9 — albeit identifying them poses significantly steep challenges given various issues. To begin, the subtlety of these entities renders them highly vulnerable to obscuration by brighter celestial counterparts.
These cloud forms are equally temporary, and likely victims to eradication through a phenomenon known as ram pressure elimination, stripping away their gaseous components as they traverse through intergalactic regions. In effect, available indications propose Cloud-9 is already bearing consequences from perturbations due to the relatively heated circumgalactic environment within M94’s vicinity, stated the research team.
RELATED STORIES
—Vera C. Rubin Observatory uncovers sizable, record-setting asteroid during its initial week of operation
—’How is all this plausible?’: Researchers identify massive cluster of primeval galaxies possessing unjustifiably excessive heat
—Concealed ‘doomed’ star detected through use of James Webb Space Telescope promises solution to a mystery decades in the making
“For a structure to persist as a shadowy, gas-abundant cloud leading into the present phase, it requires meeting dual strict standards with statistically diminished probabilities,” conveyed Alejandro Benitez-Llambay, principal researcher steering the initiative to study Cloud-9 and an astrophysicist attached to the University of Milano-Bicocca, through his communication with Live Science via electronic mail. “First, its dark matter aura ought to demonstrate atypical sluggishness in assemblage background; accelerated expansion during the primitive universe would have triggered gas compaction leading to stellar formation before the cosmic UV background had chances to heat it. Second, isolation of the system needs to hold steady.” Under 10% of these gas clouds might well have preserved immaculate starlessness paralleling Cloud-9’s condition, Benitez-Llambay added.
Lastly, as a representative of the dark universe, Cloud-9 is paramount to acknowledging that the captivating views of stellar bodies commonly seen within astronomical imagery solely portray a small fraction of the broader cosmos — the striking, visible elements only unfold select dimensions of the comprehensive cosmological account.
Ivan FarkasLive Science Contributor
Ivan is a long-standing author with a fondness for acquiring insights surrounding technology, history, cultural evolution, and almost every significant area of study spanning “anthro” to “zoo.” Ivan ventures equally into internet humor, marketing collateral, and informed commentary on industry trends. Holding a degree in exercise science, when Ivan takes a break from delving through printed works or screens he likely immerses himself into open-air environments or practices lifting considerably bulky objects off the flat plane. Ivan came from sunny Romania and presently lives within the perpetually bright climate of California.
Show More Comments
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
LogoutRead more
Record-breaking ‘dark object’ found hiding within a warped ‘Einstein ring’ 10 billion light-years away
‘Puzzling’ object discovered by James Webb telescope may be the earliest known galaxy in the universe
Did a NASA telescope really ‘see’ dark matter? Strange gamma-rays spark bold claims, but scientists urge caution
Astronomers close in on signal from Epoch of Reionization
Astronomers spot giant hidden ‘bridge’ and record-breaking tail between 2 dwarf galaxies