Due to the presence of the gravitational influence, it is believed that 80 percent of the universe is made up of the dark matter. Astronomers have tried to prove this using the discovery of a tiny galaxy orbiting the Milky Way. The tiny galaxy is said to be emitting electromagnetic radiation which are in the form of gamma rays. This discovery was achieved through the use of NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.
However, though researchers have been on the lookout for a technique that would point out the source of the dark matter using weaker signals, Alex Geringer-Sameth of Carnegie Mellon University says that the gamma rays signal is still very not certain. As such and together with his colleagues they could not completely conclude that there is a dark matter within the galaxy.
Carnegie says, according to their observation, there seemed to be excess of gamma rays from the normal background processes which were coming from the direction of the galaxy unlike what would be expected. “However, given what many scientists and researchers know about the generation of gamma rays from the sky, the processes may not really explain this signal”, Geringer-Sameth says.
Never the less, a co–author of this mysterious discovery and a physics professor Savvas Koushiappas is so certain that gamma radiation is a sign enough that to confirm the presence of dark matter.
This galaxy under speculation is known as Reticulum 2. It is a dwarf galaxy and owing to its various attributes, the researchers fell that further study on its presence would reveal any hidden sources emitting gamma rays. Savvas explains that in larger galaxies, sources of gamma radiation would vary and would include black holes, quasars and pulsars unlike in small galaxies.
From the earth, it is said to be98,000 light years and this makes it one of the leading dwarf galaxies to be discovered. It has such a strong influence such that scientists feel that it will help them expand their understanding of the universe.