Does the Bullet Cluster contain a lot less dark matter than we thought?

According to Physics World, the Bullet Cluster, a famous collision of galaxy clusters long treated as some of the best evidence for dark matter, may hold far less of it than scientists assumed. A fresh analysis of James Webb Space Telescope observations suggests the cluster could contain only about half the expected dark matter, or possibly none at all. The researchers say the amount of unseen mass their study requires is much smaller than earlier estimates, a finding that, if it holds up, would complicate one of the textbook arguments for dark matter's existence.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton