Researchers have believed that Segue 1, a puny galaxy orbiting the Milky Way just 75,000 light-years away, was packed with dark matter, a substance in space that doesn't shine or interact with light.
On Oct. 13, 1773, a French astronomer named Charles Messier discovered the "whirlpool galaxy," also known as Messier 51, or M51. Charles Messier was scanning the sky for objects that could confuse ...