NEW YORK (AP) — A new high-resolution map of distant galaxies may help scientists understand a mysterious invisible substance that helps hold the universe together.
The ordinary matter all around us — stars, planets and people — makes up just 5% of the universe. For decades, researchers have hoped to demystify what's known as dark matter, a material that comprises just over a quarter of our universe. Another equally mysterious force called dark energy makes up the rest.
Dark matter doesn't absorb or give off light so scientists can't study it directly. But they can observe how its gravity warps and bends the star stuff around it — for example, the light from distant galaxies. By studying these distortions across large swathes of the universe, scientists can get closer to unmasking dark matter and its various hiding places.
The latest map, created with images from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, is the most detailed yet over such a large patch of sky. It has twice the resolution of previous attempts using the Hubble Space Telescope and captures hundreds of thousands of galaxies over the past 10 billion years.
“Now, we can see everything more clearly,” said study author Diana Scognamiglio with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The latest map, published Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy, includes information on new galaxy clusters and the strands of dark matter that connect them. Piece by piece, these structures help form the skeleton of the universe. Scientists can study this map to see how dark matter has clumped up over billions of years.
Dark matter doesn't have much of an impact on your midday lunch order or your nightly bedtime ritual. But it silently passes through your body all the time and has shaped the universe.
As humans, we're naturally curious to know more about where we come from and that story can’t be told without dark matter, said astrophysicist Rutuparna Das with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
“Our home is the universe and we want to understand what the nature of it is,” said Das, who was not involved with the new study.
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This NASA image shows two massive galaxy clusters previously captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory, with areas of possible dark matter in blue. (NASA via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Rangers’ sell-off that general manger Chris Drury warned fans would be coming as part of a retooling process is now underway.
They traded defenseman Carson Soucy to the crosstown-rival New York Islanders on Monday in exchange for a third-round pick in this year’s draft. None of Soucy’s $3.25 million salary was retained.
It is just the fourth between the teams and first since 2010.
The Islanders have been looking for a left-shooting defenseman since Alexander Romanov injured his right shoulder and had surgery in November, sidelining him for five to six months. That timeline means Romanov could return at some point after the playoffs begin in mid-April.
Soucy, 31, is a pending unrestricted free agent and would be a rental addition for the Islanders, who have shifted into contending mode in GM Mathieu Darche’s first season in charge. No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer emerging as a young star and the rookie of the year front-runner raised the organization’s expectations, and making the playoffs in a wide-open Eastern Conference is now a realistic expectation.
The opposite is the case for the Rangers, who are now surprise sellers. Underachieving in Mike Sullivan’s first season as coach prompted a change of course for Drury, who got a multiyear contract extension from owner James Dolan in April and is getting the chance to fix a flawed roster.
In a letter to fans posted on social media Jan. 16, Drury said the team would not stand pat and that “a shift will give us the ability to be smart and opportunistic as we retool as a team.”
“This will not be a rebuild,” Drury said. “This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects. We will target players that bring tenacity, skill, speed, and a winning pedigree with a focus obtaining young players, draft picks, and cap space to allow us flexibility moving forward.”
Artemi Panarin, the team’s leading scorer every season since signing an $81.5 million contract in 2019, like Soucy is set to be a free agent and could be the best player moved before the NHL’s March 6 trade deadline. Panarin is 34, counts $11.6 million against the cap and has a full no-movement clause, which allows him control over where he goes.
Just about everyone in the organization, aside from franchise goaltender Igor Shesterkin, top defenseman Adam Fox and prospect Gabe Perreault, figures to be available at the right price.
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New York Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy (24) in action during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
