Newly discovered dwarf galaxies could provide dark-matter clues

Wired : A team of researchers from the University of Cambridge has discovered nine objects that appear to be dwarf galaxies in orbit around the Milky Way. It is the first such discovery since 2006. The objects were uncovered in data collected as part of an investigation into dark energy by the 570-megapixel Dark Energy Camera, which is mounted on the Victor M. Blanco 4-meter telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in the Chilean Andes. The researchers have confirmed that three of the objects are dwarf galaxies; the other six could be either dwarf galaxies or star clusters with similar properties. The objects are located in the same area as both the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, with the closest being about 97 000 light-years away and the farthest 1.2 million light-years. Because dwarf galaxies are 99% dark matter, they present an excellent opportunity to study the mysterious substance.