NASA Uncovers "Cloud-9": First Starless "Failed Galaxy" Hiding in Deep Space

• NASA's Hubble Space Telescope confirmed the discovery of "Cloud-9", a unique starless gas cloud composed of hydrogen and dark matter, located 14 million light-years away near galaxy Messier 94.
• Unlike typical galaxies, "Cloud-9" contains no stars, making it invisible in visible light and detectable only by its hydrogen and massive dark matter content.
• Astronomers classify "Cloud-9" as a "failed galaxy" or a Reionisation-Limited H I Cloud (RELHIC), representing a cosmic structure that possessed the ingredients for a galaxy but never formed stars.
• The discovery, initially made by radio telescopes like the Very Large Array, offers a rare opportunity to study dark matter, galaxy formation, and conditions in the early universe.
• Future studies of "Cloud-9" aim to understand its composition, dynamics, and interaction between dark and ordinary matter, potentially leading to more discoveries of hidden cosmic objects.

Why It Matters: "Cloud-9" is the first confirmed starless "failed galaxy," offering crucial insights into dark matter and galaxy formation.