Galaxies in a cluster roughly 300 million light years from Earth could contain as much as 100 times more dark matter than visible matter, according to an Australian study.
The research, published today, used powerful computer simulations to study galaxies that have fallen into the Coma Cluster, one of the largest structures in the Universe in which thousands of galaxies are bound together by gravity.
"It found the galaxies could have fallen into the cluster as early as seven billion years ago, which, if our current theories of galaxies evolution are correct, suggests they must have lots of dark matter protecting the visible matter from being ripped apart by the cluster."
Dark matter cannot be seen directly but the mysterious substance is thought to make up about 84 per cent of the matter in the Universe.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society - The quenching and survival of ultra diffuse galaxies in the Coma cluster
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