Chance gaze at old Hubble Telescope image leads to discovery that could reveal dark matter's secrets
On a morning train commute, this former scientist found a stellar surprise in an old Hubble image.
On a train ride in June 2023, David Hendel, a former astronomer, spotted an intriguing image on his phone. The picture, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2022, depicted a faint dwarf galaxy named UGC 9050-Dw1, located 115 million light-years away. Hendel noticed a thin, elusive ribbon of stars extending from the galaxy, which piqued his interest.
Recognizing the distinctive pattern, Hendel concluded that this could be a stellar stream torn from a globular cluster, pulled apart by the galaxy's gravity. This discovery would be the first of its kind outside the Milky Way. Hendel immediately sent a screenshot and sketch to Sarah Pearson, an astrophysics professor at the Technical University of Denmark, who confirmed the find along with Julie Kiel Holm, a Ph.D. student.
The stream has been named Oyashio, honoring a cold Pacific current and cultures worldwide with astronomical traditions. This discovery is significant as it provides a pristine laboratory for studying dark matter, minimizing contamination from other astrophysical factors. The team's findings suggest that UGC 9050-Dw1 harbors more dark matter than its sparse star population would indicate, offering valuable insights into the nature of this mysterious substance.
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