For years, astronomers have grappled with the “missing satellites problem” in our Milky Way galaxy. The standard dark matter model predicts more satellite galaxies than we’ve observed, leaving scientists puzzled. But recent observations from the Subaru Telescope shed light on this cosmic mystery.
The Subaru Telescope, perched atop a Hawaiian mountain, teamed up with the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) to scan the skies. Their mission: find elusive dwarf galaxies that might be lurking far from our galactic neighbourhood. And they succeeded.
An international research team, including scientists from Japan, Taiwan, and America, recently published their findings in the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. They discovered two new satellite galaxies: Virgo III and Sextans II. These faint, diffuse dwarf galaxies add to the growing tally of satellite companions orbiting the Milky Way.
But here’s the twist: the total count of known satellite galaxies is still far below the 220 predicted by the standard dark matter theory. Instead of a “missing satellites problem,” we now face a “too many satellites problem.” If the distribution of these nine known satellites across the entire Milky Way resembles what the HSC-SSP footprint captured, there could be as many as 500 satellite galaxies out there.
To settle the score, astronomers need more high-resolution imaging and analysis. Enter the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, set to scan the skies next year. With its broader view, scientists hope to uncover even more satellite galaxies and unravel the secrets of dark matter.
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