Cloud‑9: NASA find first starless “failed galaxy” hiding in deep space

This image shows the location of Cloud-9, which is 14 million light-years from Earth. (Image: NASA/ESA/Gagandeep Anand (STScI)

• Astronomers discover starless gas cloud, Cloud-9, with radio and Hubble telescopes.
• Cloud-9 has hydrogen, dark matter, no stars also this is 14 million light-years away.
• Discovery confirms "failed galaxies" theories, offers dark matter insights.

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Astronomers have discovered a brand-new type of cosmic object. It is a starless gas cloud, full of hydrogen and dark matter. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope observed this object, nicknamed "Cloud‑9". Unlike normal galaxies, it contains no stars at all.

It may represent a “failed galaxy” from the early universe.

Who found Cloud 9 and how?

Cloud‑9 was first detected using radio telescopes like the Very Large Array. Hubble followed up with its Advanced Camera for Surveys. The telescope confirmed no stars exist inside the cloud. Scientists measured its gas content and dark matter mass. The cloud lies 14 million light‑years away, near galaxy Messier 94.

How do shooting stars and gas clouds differ?

Unlike meteors, Cloud‑9 does not shine. It is invisible in visible light, only detectable by its hydrogen. No stars mean no light, only massive dark matter content. Its gas is about 1 million times the Sun’s mass. Dark matter dominates, weighing billions of times the Sun.

What makes it a “failed galaxy”?

Cloud‑9 contains the ingredients to form a galaxy. Yet no stars ever formed inside it. This aligns with predictions of Reionisation‑Limited H I Clouds (RELHICs). Scientists had theorised such objects, but Cloud‑9 is the first confirmed. It shows how some cosmic structures remain dark, unseen, yet massive.

Why this discovery matters?

Cloud‑9 gives astronomers a rare window into dark matter. It helps explain how galaxies form or fail to form. Observing starless objects allows study of early universe conditions. It confirms cosmological predictions about small dark matter halos.

This discovery may lead to finding more hidden objects in space.

What’s next for Cloud‑9?

Astronomers will continue to study its composition and dynamics. They hope to discover other starless clouds across the universe. Cloud‑9 could reveal secrets about dark matter interaction with ordinary matter. It helps map the unseen structure of the cosmos. Even without stars, it shines in scientific value.