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Article: Nearby galaxy sheds light on dark matter. (Large Magellanic Cloud used to estimate amount of Milky Way's dark matter)
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- June 12, 1993
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Astronomers have measured for the first time the movement across the sky of a galaxy other than our own. Using the new data, which characterize the orbit of the Milky Way's nearest galactic neighbor, California researchers have made what they consider the most accurate estimate to date of the amount and shape of dark matter in our galaxy Dark matter
-- hypothetical material thought to make up 90 to 95 percent of the mass in the universe -- doesn't emit light, yet it exerts a gravitational tug.
According to the new calculations, the mass of the Milky Way contains five to 10 times as much dark matter as visible stars. Moreover, the team infers that this ...