This three-paneled image shows different perspectives of the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy. A team of astronomers analyzed observations by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope taken over a span of 18 years to measure the dynamic motions of stars within the Draco dwarf galaxy, a system located roughly 250,000 light-years from Earth. The telescope’s extensive baseline and data archive enabled the team to build the most accurate three-dimensional map of the stars’ movements within the system. These improved measurements are helping to shed “light” on the mysterious qualities and behavior of dark matter, the Universe’s invisible “glue.”
[Image description: At left is the main image: a wide-field view of the galaxy from the Digitized Sky Survey. Many yellow, blue-white, and white stars are dispersed across the black background of space. A faint brown oval surrounds the central area of the image. Within this area are two small graphic overlays: a square and a diamond. These two small overlays correspond to the two magnified views at right, as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. The small square in the main image corresponds to the top right square. The small diamond in the main image corresponds to the bottom right square. The magnified view at top right shows a large white circle with four diffraction spikes in the top left. Small white specks and orange dots are scattered across the black background. A large spiral galaxy is seen face-on at top right. The magnified view at bottom right shows small white specks and orange dots scattered across the black background.]