DF2 is a galaxy with no dark matter and it has astronomers perplexed

A newly discovered galaxy, DF2, has us questioning our scientific beliefs about how a galaxy is made.

NGC 1052-DF2, located 65 million light years away, is an enigma. It’s the first galaxy found that has no dark matter.

While a unique find, it’s what the fact alludes to — that dark matter, thought to be a primary ingredient for the universe’s stew, is perhaps not so fundamental as we had thought, and, additionally, has us re-considering the nature of dark matter itself.

Astronomer Roberto Abraham, “We thought all galaxies were made up of stars, gas and dark matter mixed together, but with dark matter always dominating…Now it seems that at least some galaxies exist with lots of stars and gas and hardly any dark matter. It is pretty bizarre.”

Some astronomers theorize DF2 may have had dark matter at some point, but that it may have been flushed away by the birth of a nearby star.

For now they can only guess. This discovery has lead to astronomers surveying for more galaxies with very little or no dark matter. It’s possible that with further study a more solid hypothesis can be formed.