Dark matter "nuggets" could be lighting up our galaxy, here's what scientists think

A mysterious ultraviolet glow across the Milky Way may come from dark matter nuggets. (Image: NASA)

Scientists report ultraviolet glow spread across the Milky Way galaxy. The light cannot be explained by stars gas or dust. Researchers propose dark matter nuggets as a shocking explanation today. These nuggets could glow when antimatter meets ordinary interstellar material.

The idea focuses on hypothetical axion quark nuggets theoretical objects. Each nugget would be microscopic yet incredibly dense and massive. Some nuggets may contain antimatter trapped since early universe formation.

Collisions with normal gas would trigger annihilation releasing energy light. This energy could appear as far ultraviolet radiation across space. Telescopes already detect excess ultraviolet light permeating our galaxy everywhere.

Scientists compared simulations with observations from multiple space missions globally. The predicted glow closely matches unexplained measurements surprisingly well.

If correct dark matter would finally produce visible signals observational. This possibility excites physicists searching decades for dark matter evidence. However the hypothesis remains controversial and unproven among scientists worldwide.

Alternative explanations include unknown stellar sources or measurement errors elsewhere. Future observations will test whether nuggets truly exist within galaxies.

New instruments could search for distinctive annihilation signatures in spectra. Confirmation would revolutionise cosmology and particle physics overnight for scientists. It would reveal how invisible matter shapes galaxies across universe.

For now the Milky Way keeps glowing mysteriously above us. The light may whisper secrets about cosmic darkness long hidden. Dark matter might not be completely dark after all anymore. A faint glow could change astronomy forever as theories collapse. Scientists now watch the galaxy with renewed anticipation and urgency.