Ultraviolet light from a quasar (in the red circle) causes hydrogen gas in dark galaxies (blue circles) to fluoresce. ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2/S. Cantalupo (UCSC)
First Evidence Of 'Dark Galaxies' Discovered -- The Telegraph
Astronomers in Chile have observed what appears to be evidence of the existence of dark galaxies, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) announced on Wednesday.
Dark galaxies are small, gas-rich galaxies from the early universe that are believed to be the building blocks of today's bright, star-filled galaxies, said the ESO, an intergovernmental organisation supported by 15 countries.
"For the first time, dark galaxies – an early phase of galaxy formation, predicted by theory but unobserved until now – may have been spotted," the ESO said in a statement.
"Using ESO's Very Large Telescope, an international team thinks they have detected these elusive objects by observing them glowing as they are illuminated by a quasar," it said.
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