Astronomers at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have uncovered new insights into the strange absence of dark matter in the distant galaxy NGC 1052-DF2, an ultra-diffuse galaxy.

About Galaxy NGC 1052-DF2

• NGC 1052-DF2 is known for its large size but extremely low surface brightness due to the sparse presence of stars.
• Despite its large radius, the galaxy has a total dynamical mass of under 340 million solar masses, nearly matching its estimated stellar mass of 200 million solar masses.
  • A solar mass refers to the standard unit used to measure the mass of stars, equivalent to the mass of the Sun.
• The galaxy shows a striking deficiency of dark matter, with most of its mass consisting of visible stars unlike typical galaxies such as the Milky Way.

Significance of the Discovery

• Challenging Dark Matter Paradigms: The findings challenge the widely accepted belief that dark matter is essential for galaxy formation and structure in the universe.
  • NGC 1052-DF2 raises key questions about whether some galaxies can form and evolve with little to no dark matter content.
• Insights into Galaxy Formation: This study provides valuable insights into the diversity of galaxy formation, suggesting that alternative models may be needed to explain such outliers.

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