Dark matter ring in distant galaxy cluster
author: Nasa/ESA/Novapix
reference: a-amg90-00111
Image Size 300 DPI: 33 * 33 cm
Discovery of a ring of dark matter in the cluster ZwCl0024+1652. The ring's discovery is among the strongest evidence yet that dark matter exists.The ring, which measures 2.6 million light-years across, was found in the cluster ZwCl0024+1652, located 5 billion light-years away from Earth. The astronomers team found the ring unexpectedly while they were mapping the distribution of dark matter within the cluster. Although astronomers cannot see dark matter, they can infer its existence in galaxy clusters by observing how its gravity bends the light of more distant background galaxies. This image shows the dark matter ring (blue) added on the cluster image taken with the Hubble space telescope.