When you purchase through links on our site , we may gain an affiliate delegation . Here ’s how it works .
stargazer have discovered a antecedently unknown duet of possible satellite galaxies orbiting theMilky Way . The location of these gnome extragalactic nebula suggests that hundreds of other unknown mini - galaxy could be hiding around us — potentially challenging our understanding of the galaxy ’s edges .
A artificial satellite galaxy is a clump of star , either in a round blob or a doughnut - like conformation , that orbit the Milky Way independently from the quietus of the galaxy . Our galaxy ’s largest - known satellite is theLarge Magellanic Cloud , which holds around 30 billion star and can be viewed with the au naturel eye . Other known satellites only contain a few hundred thousand or a twain of million ace .
The potential dwarf galaxies, Sextans II and Virgo III, were spotted by the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) attached to Japan’s Subaru Telescope.
A2020 censusof make out satellite galaxies intimate scientists have found a maximum of around 60 planet extragalactic nebula orbit the Milky Way . However , there is some dubiousness about the honest numeral of orbiter galaxies , largely because scientist disagree over how tumid these adept cluster should be and how far they should lie from the galactic shopping center to be counted as straight satellites , according toNASA .
Related : The Milky Way will be seeable without a telescope this summer . Here are the key nights to watch for .
But most astronomers agree that there should be many more , presently unknown , satellite galaxies out there . Based on our current apprehension ofdark thing — which does n’t react with visible radiation but interact gravitationally with visible matter andmakes up around 27 % of the universe ’s mass — researcher have long assumed that the whitish Way should have around 220 satellite galaxies . Our inability to spot many more of these is often bear on to as the " missing satellites trouble . "
Satellite galaxies vary widely in terms of size and distance from the galactic center.
In a fresh study , published June 8 in the journalPublications of the Astronomical Society of Japan , researcher discovered two new possible satellite galaxies , Sextans II and Virgo III . The satellites are located around 411,000 and 492,000 light - age from Earth severally and are likely both ultra - compact nanus Galax urceolata ( UCDs ) — collections of old star clumped tightly together , make them brighter than other satellite galaxies .
However , the discoveries do not help solve the missing satellites problem . Instead , the location and preference of these potential satellites hints that there are even more satellite galaxies than scientists initially realized . This raises a new job , which researchers have dubbed the " too many satellite trouble . "
relate : Does the whitish mode area anything ?
Researchers discovered the UCDs using the Hyper Suprime - Cam ( HSC ) attached to Japan ’s Subaru Telescope at Mauna Kea Observatories in Hawaii . This legal instrument has spent the last few years searching a region of blank around 33 light - years across . found on the estimated 220 satellite galaxies postulated by the missing satellites problem , an area of this size should have around four satellite galaxies on modal , Universe Today recently report .
However , the modish discoveries take the entire number of artificial satellite found by HSC in this area to nine . If this immersion of satellites is consistent around the Milky Way , it would mean that there could be at least 500 planet galaxies around the Milky Way , researchers wrote in astatement .
In the past , scientists have proposed multiple resolution to the missing satellites problem , including that some satellite galaxies arehiding behind large satellitesand that others areso diffuse they are almost impossible to detectwith current technology . However , these factor are unlikely to be able to excuse an overabundance of stars , lead scientists with no real room to explicate the new results .
— Some of the oldest stars in the universe found hiding near the Milky Way ’s edge — and they may not be alone
— Astronomers weighed the Milky Way , and found Brobdingnagian amounts of matter missing
— Group of 60 radical - faint star revolve the Milky direction could be new character of wandflower never seen before
" The next step is to habituate a more potent telescope that captures a wider perspective of the sky , " study Centennial State - authorMasahi Chiba , an uranologist at Tohoku University in Japan , sound out in the program line . This should help oneself clarify how common satellite galaxy really are , he added .
One such scope is the upcomingVera C. Rubin Observatory — a DoS - of - the - artistry adroitness equip with theworld ’s expectant digital camera , which is carry to come online in 2025 , Chiba say . " I hope that many new satellite coltsfoot will be fall upon . "
