A new twist in the dark matter tale

An innovative interpretation of X-ray data from a cluster of galaxies could help NASA scientists fulfill a quest they have been on for decades: determining the nature of dark matter.  This article explains how the finding involves a new explanation for a set of results made with NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, ESA’s XMM-Newton and Hitomi, a Japanese-led X-ray telescope. If confirmed with future observations, this may represent a major step forward in understanding the nature of the mysterious, invisible substance that makes up about 85% of matter in the universe.