A distant supercluster of galaxies points to self-interacting dark matter
Astronomers are studying the 'El Gordo' supercluster to understand how such a massive structure formed so early in the universe's history. The study suggests that self-interacting dark matter might explain the cluster's rapid formation, challenging standard cosmological models.
Why it matters
Understanding dark matter is fundamental to physics and our knowledge of how the universe evolved from the Big Bang to the present day.
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Andrew Zinin
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Add to Preferred Sources Hubble image of the El Gordo supercluster with the estimated dark matter highlighted in blue. Credit: NASA Hubble Seven billion light-years from Earth, there is an unexpected cluster of galaxies. It has two regions in the process of colliding with each other with a combined mass of more than two quadrillion solar masses. Given its mass, the distant cluster has been nicknamed El Gordo, the Fat One. What makes it unusual is that it's extraordinarily large for that period of the universe. How did such a large supercluster form so early?
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