Can Galaxies Exist Without Dark Matter? Latest Simulations Say Yes!

Theoretically it sounds absurd! But that’s how science functions. At the verge of abstract absurdness and uncertainty. Ready to pack a punch in the skeptics face with grave profoundness! Not many decades ago, the very mention of Dark Matter was frowned upon until it became an absolute pillar of evolutionary cosmology. It is the building block of galaxies and probably the primer of the entire space-time existence. The most exotic thing in existence, the pursuit of the elusive Dark matter is a multi billion dollar enterprise. Scientists describe Dark matter as an invisible form of matter whose total mass in the universe is roughly five times that of “normal” matter (i.e., atoms). It can be thought of as the scaffolding of the universe. The visible matter we see collects inside this scaffolding in the form of stars and galaxies.

Here’s an explanatory video of how galaxies evolve by NASA

However, in a startling simulation done by astrophysicists from the University of California, Irvine and Pomona College, the findings reveal an extraordinary exception. The study published at Nature Astronomy showed two galaxies sans any dark matter! The discovery led the researchers to do further state of the art simulations to ascertain this rather absurd discovery.

Robert Feldmann, a professor at the University of Zurich who is the architect of the new simulation, said that, “this theoretical work shows that dark matter deficient galaxies should be more common, especially in the vicinity of massive galaxies.”

SEE ALSO: 39 Massive And ‘Invisible’ Ancient Galaxies Hidden In Space Discovered That Shed New Light On Dark Matter – Science

One of the lead researchers Moreno joyfully quips, “It was pure serendipity.” However, he states with caution that, “you don’t have to get rid of the standard dark matter paradigm.”

The team discovered seven dark matter free galaxies which they named after seven Cherokee clans, namely Bird, Blue, Deer, Long Hair, Paint, Wild Potato and Wolf!

SEE ALSO: Researchers Claim Dark Matter Pulls Galaxies At Breakneck Speeds

Some things may seem so inherently indispensable in life, but maybe they are not. Keep looking up. You might just find a galaxy without the dark matter.

Cover image – Unsplash/NASA