Astronomers find starless hydrogen cloud that may be dark galaxy
Chinese scientists using the FAST radio telescope identified a compact hydrogen cloud without visible stars on October 17, 2026.
Discovery of isolated gas cloud
Researchers detected a dense concentration of neutral hydrogen that emits no light from stars. The object sits alone in space with no surrounding galaxy visible to current instruments. This finding was published on the arXiv preprint server following observations made in September.
Mass and composition details
The cloud contains approximately 500,000 times the mass of our sun in neutral hydrogen gas. Astronomers note that such massive structures without stars are rare candidates for dark galaxies. Theoretical models suggest these halos form early but fail to ignite star formation due to heat from cosmic radiation.
Distinction from faint dwarfs
Scientists must separate this object from low-mass dwarf galaxies that appear dark only because of brightness limits. The 21-centimeter hydrogen line provides the primary signal used to locate these invisible structures. Only one such reionization-limited cloud has been confirmed so far in the history of astronomy.
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