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Dark matter is thought to exist throughout the visible universe and is the cosmic glue that unites galaxies. Because of its "dark" nature, dark matter does not appear to reflect or emit light, making direct observation impossible. Astrophysicists are certain, however, that dark matter is real, because something invisible makes galaxies much heavier than the sum total of mass we can observe. And according to scientists at Harvard University, a galaxy distant 295 million light-years away contains much more dark matter than previously thought.
The data collected by NASA's Chandra telescope helped US astronomers study an "isolated" galaxy called Markarian 1216.
It is thought that the cluster of elliptical stars formed shortly after the Big Bang and is almost as old as the universe itself.
The stars found in the very dense center of the galaxy are within 10% of the age of the universe.
And in this cluttered center is an unusually high concentration of dark matter, which scientists hope to "weigh".
READ MORE: What is dark matter? Scientists looking for an INVISIBLE substance
David Buote of the University of California at Irvine said, "When we compared Chandra's data to our computer models, we found that a much stronger concentration of dark matter was needed than in any other area." 39, other galaxies of similar total mass.
"It tells us that the Mrk 1216 story is very different from the typical galaxy.
"Essentially, all of its stars and dark matter were assembled a long time ago with little added stuff in the last 10 billion years."
Dark matter accounts for about 85% of the total mass of the universe.
READ MORE: Dark Matter at CERN: Will LHCb Experience the Cosmic Mystery?
Scientists have been able to detect it indirectly only because the gravitational effects of rotating galaxies suggest that they are much heavier than they should be.
This has led to the theory of dark matter, which offers a form of theoretical material, different from that of humans and cars and everything we touch, exists.
According to the new study, a concentrated "halo" of dark matter has formed around the Mrk 1216 center about three to four billion years after the Big Bang.
This halo would have spread over a region of space much larger than the host galaxy itself.
READ MORE: Is dark matter leaking into our universe from another dimension?
The new study also re-evaluated the supposed mass of the supermassive black hole at the heart of the galaxy.
Until recently, astronomers estimated that the black hole was much heavier than expected for a galaxy like Mrk 1216.
Scientists now think that the black hole weighs only four billion times more than our Sun, which is not unusual for a galaxy the size of Mrk 1216.
The study was published in the June 1 issue of The Astrophysical Journal.
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