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The Hyades (Earthworms) are the star cluster (a group related to the same time, place of origin, and chemical composition) closest to the solar system. The cluster consists of about 300 young objects about 151 light years away and we can observe them in the constellation Taurus.
The relative “closeness” of the cluster and the fact that it is clearly visible from every hemisphere make Hyades a great subject for research. Now with the help of the data collected by Gaia probe The European Space Agency (ESA) has found that the cluster is being disturbed by the gravitational pull of a massive but invisible structure. If the scientists’ suspicions prove true, this could be evidence of a population “podhalo of dark matter”.
As Urania explains, “these invisible clouds of particles are left over from the formation of the Milky Way and are now scattered throughout the galaxy, creating an invisible substructure that exerts a noticeable gravitational effect on anything that comes too close to it.” It is believed that dark matter podhalo may play an important role in the formation of galaxies.
Gaii probe observations
It’s worth explaining that researchers have long known that clusters naturally lose the starswhich due to gravity become “darkened” and projected to the outskirts of the cluster. Then they are attracted by galaxies to form long tails. This phenomenon has already been observed in colliding galaxies, however, it has never been observed in a nearby star cluster.
Only the most recent research has revealed detailed information about these “tails”. The data showed that the Hyiads tails are very different from each other, suggesting an external force. Further simulations showed that the force acting on the cluster’s tails must have been greater than 10 million solar masses. Since there are no objects in the vicinity of the cluster that could cause such ‘tears’, scientists suspect the action of dark matter.
This research shows that Gaia can completely change the way you see the cosmos and help answer questions that have long haunted scientists. Thanks to Gaia, the way we perceive the Milky Way has completely changed. Thanks to these discoveries, we will be able to map the substructures of the Milky Way much better than ever beforeexplained Tereza Jerabkova of ESA, co-author of the study.
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