El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Data from the Hubble telescope has confirmed the existence of galaxies without dark matter, once thought to be an essential part of the celestial body’s makeup, a new study suggests.
The study, published in the June volume of Astrophysical Journal Letters, is based on 40 orbits of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and imaging from the Advanced Camera for Surveys which showed that the ultra-diffuse galaxy (UDG) known as “NGC1052-DF2” or “DF2” is lacking dark matter.
Dark matter, composed of particles that do not absorb, reflect or emit light, is widely considered to be an essential ingredient of galaxies. While dark matter cannot be seen directly, its gravitational force is like a glue that holds galaxies together, and governs the motion of matter that can be observed directly.
In 2018 Researchers had previously been working to measure the distance between DF2 and its neighbour UDG NGC1052-DF4 (DF4) which found “surface brightness fluctuations,” denoting compelling evidence of a lack of dark matter, according to a release.
DF2 and DF4 were found to have a large amount of very bright clusters of stars and are comparable in size to the Milky Way galaxy, but their total mass is only about one per cent of the Milky Way’s mass.
"Determining an accurate distance to DF2 has been key in supporting our earlier results," said researcher Shany Danieli in the release. "The new measurement reported in this study has crucial implications for estimating the physical properties of the galaxy, thus confirming its lack of dark matter."
The Hubble data also indicated that the galaxies were located slightly farther away than previously thought, supporting the idea they contain little to no dark matter. If DF2 was closer to Earth, the release states, it would be fainter and smaller.
"We went out on a limb with our initial Hubble observations of this galaxy in 2018," said Yale researcher Peter van Dokkum in the release. "I think people were right to question it because it's such an unusual result. It would be nice if there were a simple explanation, like a wrong distance. But I think it's more fun and more interesting if it actually is a weird galaxy."
Researchers plan to continue studying how ultra-diffuse galaxies are formed and what other unique properties they possess.
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
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A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
Thieves killed two Australians and an American on a surfing trip to Mexico in order to steal their truck, particularly because they wanted the tires, authorities said Sunday.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
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Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.