A mysterious X-ray signal has been found in a detailed study of galaxy clusters using our Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton. One intriguing possibility is that the X-rays are produced by the decay of sterile neutrinos, a type of particle that has been proposed as a candidate for dark matter.
This composite image of the Perseus Cluster combines data equivalent to more than 17 days of observation time over a decade. The Perseus Cluster is one of the most massive objects in the Universe, and contains thousands of galaxies immersed in an enormous cloud of superheated gas.
Image Credit: X-ray: NASA, CXC, SAO, E.Bulbul, et al.
#nasa #astronomy #space #chandra #xray #galaxies #darkmatter #science