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Galaxies without dark matter challenge cosmic understanding

Galaxies without dark matter challenge cosmic understanding

Astronomers are confronting an unexpected puzzle: galaxies that appear to contain little or no dark matter, the invisible substance thought to anchor nearly every large structure in the universe. For decades, dark matter has been the dominant framework for understanding galaxy formation and dynamics. Observations have consistently shown that visible matter accounts for only about 15% of a galaxy's mass, with dark matter making up the rest. But recent discoveries of galaxies that seem to defy this ratio are forcing researchers to reconsider whether dark matter is as universal as previously assumed, or whether our models of how galaxies form and evolve need revision. The tension matters because dark matter remains one of astronomy's deepest mysteries. If these observations hold up under scrutiny, they could reshape fundamental assumptions about the cosmos and push theorists back to the drawing board. For now, the field is caught between two possibilities: either these galaxies are rare exceptions that demand new physics, or they signal that something is fundamentally incomplete about our current picture of the universe.

Source: Big Think