Dozens of small galaxies have been discovered orbiting our Milky Way galaxy over the past decade. These “ultra-faint” galaxies are less luminous than any other known galaxy, and are several million times fainter than the Milky Way itself. W. M. Keck Observatory has played a key role in showing that the ultra-faint galaxies are the oldest and most dark matter-dominated galaxies in the known universe. These ultra-faint galaxies are dramatically reshaping our understanding of galaxy formation and may hold the keys to deciphering the nature of dark matter itself.
The staff and management of the W. M. Keck Observatory wish to offer our deepest gratitude to our Astronomy Talk Series sponsors, Rob and Terry Ryan.
Guest Speaker
Marla Geha
Director, Yale Telescope Resources
Professor, Astronomy Department, Yale University
