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Space

Strange 'sticky' dark matter could be lurking in a distant galaxy

Dark matter is thought to only interact through gravity, which is why it is so difficult to spot, but now evidence is growing for a type of dark matter that can also stick to itself

By Alex Wilkins

19 May 2025

Galaxy SDSS J0946+1006 acts as a gravitational lens, helping astronomers see the signs of dark matter

NASA/ESA/R. Gavazzi, T. Treu/University of California/SLACS

An unusually dense galaxy could be the first clear evidence for the existence of an unconventional form of “sticky” dark matter, altering our understanding of this mysterious cosmic substance.

In the standard picture of cosmology, so-called cold dark matter only interacts with the rest of the universe through gravity, which causes it to bunch together in invisible, puffy clouds around galaxies. We can map these clouds indirectly by measuring the gravitational pull they exert, which bends…

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