Webb Data Reveals Dark Matter Clumps

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Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers have created a detailed map of dark matter in a region of the sky, revealing new clumps of the invisible substance that makes up most of the universe's mass. The map contains about 10 times more galaxies than previous ground-based observations and twice as many as the Hubble Space Telescope's previous map of the same area.

Why it matters

Understanding the distribution of dark matter is crucial for studying how galaxies form and evolve, as dark matter's gravitational influence shapes the structure of the universe. The Webb telescope's powerful infrared instruments allow it to detect faint, distant galaxies obscured by cosmic dust, providing a more comprehensive view of dark matter's role.

The details

The dark matter map covers an area of sky 0.54 square degrees (about 2.5 times the size of the full Moon) in the constellation Sextans. It was created by observing the subtle distortions in light from thousands of distant galaxies, an effect known as weak gravitational lensing. This allowed researchers to infer the presence and distribution of the invisible dark matter. The map reveals new clumps of dark matter not seen in previous observations of the same region by the Hubble Space Telescope.

• The Webb telescope observed this region of sky for a total of about 255 hours.
• The same region was previously mapped using data from the Hubble Space Telescope in 2007.

What’s next

Researchers plan to continue analyzing the Webb data to further refine their understanding of dark matter's distribution and influence on galaxy formation.