Can NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Unlock the Secrets of Dark Matter?

NASA’s Roman Space Telescope will use high-resolution imaging to study dark matter by analyzing star streams in the Andromeda galaxy, providing new insights into the cosmic role and properties of dark matter.

Some of the finest, smallest details in the universe – the gaps between elongated groups of stars – may soon help astronomers reveal dark matter in greater detail than ever before. After NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launches, by May 2027, researchers will use its images to explore what exists between looping tendrils of stars that are pulled from globular clusters. Specifically, they will focus on the tidal streams from globular clusters that orbit our neighboring Andromeda galaxy. Their aim is to pinpoint a greater number of examples of these tidal streams, examine gaps between the stars, and ideally determine concrete properties of dark matter.