Dark Matter Defies Expectations: Surprising Speeds Revealed in Monumental Galaxy Cluster Collision

Astronomers have observed a unique collision between two galaxy clusters, revealing how dark matter and normal matter separate during such encounters.

Using a combination of advanced telescopes and observational techniques, including the SZ effect, researchers tracked the decoupled velocities of dark and normal matter. The study enhances our understanding of the mysterious nature of dark matter and sets the stage for future research.

Dark Matter Decoupling in Galaxy Clusters
Astronomers have untangled a messy collision between two massive clusters of galaxies in which the clusters’ vast clouds of dark matter have decoupled from the so-called normal matter. The two clusters each contain thousands of galaxies and are located billions of light-years away from Earth. As they plowed through each other, the dark matter—an invisible substance that feels the force of gravity but emits no light—sped ahead of the normal matter. The new observations are the first to directly probe the decoupling of the dark and normal matter velocities.