{"id":24957,"date":"2021-06-23T21:35:06","date_gmt":"2021-06-23T13:35:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/as-teams-work-to-bring-hubble-back-online-new-science-highlights-missing-dark-matter-in-galaxy\/"},"modified":"2021-06-23T21:35:06","modified_gmt":"2021-06-23T13:35:06","slug":"as-teams-work-to-bring-hubble-back-online-new-science-highlights-missing-dark-matter-in-galaxy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/as-teams-work-to-bring-hubble-back-online-new-science-highlights-missing-dark-matter-in-galaxy\/","title":{"rendered":"As teams work to bring Hubble back online, new science highlights missing dark matter in galaxy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Following an unexpected payload computer halt on June 13, Hubble teams are diligently working to bring the 31-year-old telescope back online. The halt, which has garnered news headlines throughout the past week, is proving to be quite the challenge for engineers to resolve.<\/p>\n<p>Although this failure undoubtedly highlights Hubble\u2019s growing age, scientists have continuously used the observatory for research. One team of researchers\u2019 recently published research using Hubble highlights one of the universe\u2019s most mysterious phenomena \u2014 dark matter.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Hubble payload computer failure<\/p>\n<p>Shortly after 20:00 UTC on Sunday, June 13, 2021, Hubble\u2019s main computer stopped receiving a \u201ckeep-alive\u201d signal from the telescope\u2019s payload computer. Once Hubble\u2019s main computer recognized the payload computer halt, it immediately put the telescope into safe mode.<\/p>\n<p>As with most spacecraft, Hubble\u2019s main computer has a \u201csafe mode\u201d feature that will shut down all science instrumentation and only operate essential telescope systems (power, communications, etc.).<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 250px; height: 301px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=haygenwarren&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1407475114145468419&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2021%2F06%2Fwork-to-bring-hubble-online-dark-matter%2F&amp;sessionId=a8da6009fa30bf5144eeb45162133370a1cdff2f&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\" data-tweet-id=\"1407475114145468419\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Hubble teams in the control center at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland recognized that Hubble was in safe mode and later attempted to restart the telescope the following day.<\/p>\n<p>     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n<p>However, the halt occurred yet again, and Hubble went back into safe mode.<\/p>\n<p>Thankfully though, the payload computer to blame for this issue was built with redundancy. Thus, a second computer is available for use in orbit in the unlikely event a failure occurs.<\/p>\n<p>The team switched to this backup computer on Wednesday, June 16, and attempted to run it for a day to see how it operated with the telescope. However, the command to start up and operate the backup computer was never fully completed. Other attempts to switch to the computer were performed the following day, but they too were all unsuccessful.<\/p>\n<p>Hubble\u2019s payload computer is tasked with coordinating and operating the many science instruments onboard the telescope. Currently, six instruments operate on Hubble.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-78544\" class=\"wp-image-78544 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/diagram.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1056\" height=\"545\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/diagram.jpg 1056w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/diagram-350x181.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/diagram-630x325.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/diagram-768x396.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1056px) 100vw, 1056px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-78544\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Diagram of the Hubble Space Telescope\u2019s instruments and spacecraft systems \u2013 via NASA<\/p>\n<p>This payload computer is a 1980s NASA Standard Spacecraft Computer-1 (NSSC-1) system located in Hubble\u2019s Science Instrument Command and Data Handling Unit. The NSSC-1 system features four memory modules containing 64K of Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) memory.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"widget-title penci-border-arrow\">See Also<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Hubble Updates<\/li>\n<li>Space Science Section<\/li>\n<li>L2 Historical Section<\/li>\n<li>Click here to Join L2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Following initial data analysis from the event, Hubble teams believed one of these memory modules was degrading, which would\u2019ve caused the NSSC-1 system to halt.<\/p>\n<p>However, after running tests and collecting more data on certain telescope systems, Hubble teams now believe that either the Standard Interface (STINT) hardware or the Central Processing Module (CPM) is to blame for the halt, and that the memory failures are a side effect of the overall failure.<\/p>\n<p>If the payload computer issue can\u2019t be fixed, the Hubble team is prepared to switch to the STINT and CPM hardware on the backup computer.<\/p>\n<p>Knowing this, Hubble teams plan to continue running tests on the telescope to gain data and hopefully identify a solution for the issue.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-78545\" class=\"wp-image-78545 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/sts125-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1698\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/sts125-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/sts125-350x232.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/sts125-528x350.jpg 528w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/sts125-768x509.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/sts125-1920x1273.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/sts125-1170x776.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/sts125-780x516.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/sts125-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-78545\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Astronauts work to service Hubble in the payload bay of Space Shuttle Atlantis on STS-125 \u2013 via NASA<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, this failure once again highlights the growing age of the iconic telescope.<\/p>\n<p>STS-125, the final Hubble servicing mission of the Space Shuttle Program, concluded on May 24, 2009 \u2014 over 12 years ago.<\/p>\n<p>Without the ability to service the telescope and update its instruments, Hubble teams have had to work around Hubble\u2019s various failures throughout the past 12 years. One of Hubble\u2019s most recent failures occurred in March of this year.<\/p>\n<p>The amount of time Hubble has left is unknown, but failures like these show that we are slowly creeping closer to Hubble\u2019s final days in orbit.<\/p>\n<p>Thankfully though, Hubble\u2019s replacement, the James Webb Space Telescope, is currently set to launch in the fall of this year, pending the resolution of fairing issues on the Ariane 5 rocket.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, Hubble teams continue to work to bring the telescope out of safe mode and back into science operations, with updates being released every few days.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-78548\" class=\"wp-image-78548 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/jwst-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/jwst-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/jwst-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/jwst-525x350.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/jwst-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/jwst-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/jwst-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/jwst-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/jwst-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-78548\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The James Webb Space Telescope, successor to Hubble, is being prepared to launch later this year \u2013 via NASA<\/p>\n<p>Mysterious dark matter missing from galaxy<\/p>\n<p>72 million light-years away from our solar system, in the constellation Cetus, an ultra diffused galaxy named NGC 1052-DF2 (simply DF2) drifts through space.<\/p>\n<p>It has been the site of great mystery due to its lack of dark matter \u2014 a finding that challenges conventional theories.<\/p>\n<p>Current theories suggest that dark matter makes up a considerable amount of a galaxy\u2019s mass. Dark matter in galaxies can be thought of as the scaffolding for their structures. Large amounts of dark matter dominate nearly all galaxies.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, dark matter is thought to account for nearly 85% of the entire universe\u2019s mass, and galaxies are even thought to form from large halos of dark matter throughout the universe.<\/p>\n<p>So, you can imagine that when a team of researchers announced in 2018 that they found DF2 to have little to no dark matter inside it, some were quick to become skeptical of the legitimacy of the findings.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe went out on a limb with our initial Hubble observations of this galaxy in 2018. I think people were right to question it because it\u2019s such an unusual result,\u201d said Pieter van Dokkum of Yale University, who led the 2018 research.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-78549\" class=\"wp-image-78549 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/1280px-NGC_1052-DF2_a_ghostly_galaxy_lacking_dark_matter.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/1280px-NGC_1052-DF2_a_ghostly_galaxy_lacking_dark_matter.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/1280px-NGC_1052-DF2_a_ghostly_galaxy_lacking_dark_matter-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/1280px-NGC_1052-DF2_a_ghostly_galaxy_lacking_dark_matter-525x350.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/1280px-NGC_1052-DF2_a_ghostly_galaxy_lacking_dark_matter-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/1280px-NGC_1052-DF2_a_ghostly_galaxy_lacking_dark_matter-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/1280px-NGC_1052-DF2_a_ghostly_galaxy_lacking_dark_matter-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/1280px-NGC_1052-DF2_a_ghostly_galaxy_lacking_dark_matter-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-78549\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Galaxy NGC 1052-DF2, imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope \u2013 via ESA<\/p>\n<p>Van Dokkum et al.\u2019s 2018 findings were so shocking that they decided to perform a follow-up study on DF2 using Hubble. The 2021 results were recently published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.<\/p>\n<p>To understand just how much dark matter is in DF2, we have to first measure how far away DF2 is from our solar system.<\/p>\n<p>To calculate how far away DF2 is, van Dokkum et al. had to observe the various movements of stars within DF2 due to star movements influenced by the galaxy\u2019s gravitational pull.<\/p>\n<p>The team of researchers made estimates using information gathered throughout previous studies and observations. If DF2 were as distant as van Dokkum et al. suggested, the amount of total dark matter in the galaxy would be only a few percent.<\/p>\n<p>If DF2 were closer to Earth than van Dokkum et al.\u2019s suggestions, the galaxy would need dark matter to compensate for the observed effects of the total mass because DH2 would be much smaller and less faint than it is.<\/p>\n<p>The results gathered using Hubble suggest that DF2 is located 72 million light-years away from Earth \u2014 much farther than other astronomers who suggested DF2 was only 42 million light-years away. In addition, the results were more distant than the original estimates made by the team in 2018 (65 million light-years).<\/p>\n<p>Van Dokkum et al. found that the total amount of stars accounts for the entire mass of the galaxy. Understanding this, the team found that with the number of stars in DF2, there isn\u2019t much room for dark matter to be present in the galaxy.<\/p>\n<p>This suggests that there likely are very small amounts of dark matter present inside DF2.<\/p>\n<p>To measure DF2\u2019s distance, Hubble\u2019s Advanced Camera for Surveys instrument was used in observations. In the observations, the team observed aging red stars on the outskirts of DF2 to pinpoint the galaxy\u2019s distance.<\/p>\n<p>But \u2014 why red stars?<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-78550\" class=\"wp-image-78550 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/stsci-01f7ycgjfy2xxgvepeb3ccwg3j.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"984\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/stsci-01f7ycgjfy2xxgvepeb3ccwg3j.png 2000w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/stsci-01f7ycgjfy2xxgvepeb3ccwg3j-350x172.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/stsci-01f7ycgjfy2xxgvepeb3ccwg3j-630x310.png 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/stsci-01f7ycgjfy2xxgvepeb3ccwg3j-768x378.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/stsci-01f7ycgjfy2xxgvepeb3ccwg3j-1920x945.png 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/stsci-01f7ycgjfy2xxgvepeb3ccwg3j-1170x576.png 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-78550\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hubble imagery showing the red stars used to determine the distance from Earth to DF2 \u2013 via NASA<\/p>\n<p>Red stars all reach the same peak brightness throughout their evolution, and using the intrinsic brightness of a star, astronomers can calculate intergalactic distances.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStudying the brightest red giants is a well-established distance indicator for nearby galaxies,\u201d said van Dokkum et al. member Zili Shen from Yale University.<\/p>\n<p>Although the recently published results from van Dokkum et al. don\u2019t explain exactly why DF2 is deficient in dark matter, knowing the galaxy\u2019s distance and having accurate observation data bolsters the team\u2019s initial results from 2018.<\/p>\n<p>However, DF2 is not the only galaxy in the universe lacking dark matter that we know of.<\/p>\n<p>Research published in 2020 led by Shany Danieli of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, studied another galaxy similar in composition to DF2 \u2014 galaxy NGC 1052-DF4 (simply DF4).<\/p>\n<p>Both DF2 and DF4 are \u201cghostly galaxies\u201d and \u201csee-through galaxies\u201d because of their massive size and faintness. DF2 is nearly as wide as the Milky Way.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-2\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=haygenwarren&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-2&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1405545732212498435&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2021%2F06%2Fwork-to-bring-hubble-online-dark-matter%2F&amp;sessionId=a8da6009fa30bf5144eeb45162133370a1cdff2f&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\" data-tweet-id=\"1405545732212498435\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1783497079525605817=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Dark matter is the \u201cinvisible glue\u201d that holds the universe together.<\/p>\n<p>All galaxies seem to be dominated by it, but Hubble observations of a galaxy lacking dark matter challenge theories of galaxy formation. For more on this cosmic mystery: https:\/\/t.co\/njbF13cC2r pic.twitter.com\/VVUkxLxJh8<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Hubble (@NASAHubble) June 17, 2021<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>However, these galaxies only contain around 1\/200th the number of stars in the Milky Way due to how spread out the stars in the galaxy are. The size, lack of stars, and distance between stars give these galaxies a \u201cghostly\u201d or \u201ccotton ball\u201d look.<\/p>\n<p>According to Danieli et al.\u2019s 2020 study, DF4 lacks dark matter like DF2. However, the way it lost its dark matter is likely a much different process.<\/p>\n<p>The research suggests a neighboring galaxy\u2019s gravitational forces pulled the dark matter out of DF4, stripping the galaxy of all its dark matter.<\/p>\n<p>Theories suggest that DF2 and DF4 were once members of the same galaxy cluster. But, new Hubble observations show that the two galaxies are farther than astronomers thought and that DF2 has drifted away from the previous cluster.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, 19 dwarf galaxies deficient in dark matter were discovered in another 2020 study. So although we know of multiple galaxies lacking in dark matter, scientists say we will need to discover many more dark-matter deficient galaxies to truly uncover the mystery behind these mysterious galaxies.<\/p>\n<p>However, van Dokkum says that the discoveries of dark-matter deficient galaxies proves dark matter exists.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn our 2018 paper, we suggested that if you have a galaxy without dark matter, and other similar galaxies seem to have it, that means that dark matter is actually real and it exists,\u201d van Dokkum said.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Lead photo via NASA)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Following an unexpected payload computer halt on June 13, Hubble teams are diligently working to bring the 31-year-old telescope back online. The halt, which has garnered news headlines throughout the past week, is proving to be quite the challenge for engineers to resolve. Although this failure undoubtedly highlights Hubble\u2019s growing age, scientists have continuously used [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2303,4259],"class_list":["post-24957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-dark-matter","tag-hubble"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24957"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24957"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24957\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}