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- Written by: Claire Blome
Some of the finest, smallest details in the universe – the gaps between elongated groups of stars – may soon help astronomers reveal dark matter in greater detail than ever before. After NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launches, by May 2027, researchers will use its images to explore what exists between looping tendrils of stars that are pulled from globular clusters.
Specifically, they will focus on the tidal streams from globular clusters that orbit our neighboring Andromeda galaxy. Their aim is to pinpoint a greater number of examples of these tidal streams, examine gaps between the stars, and ideally determine concrete properties of dark matter.
Globular cluster streams are like ribbons fluttering in the cosmos, both leading and trailing the globular clusters where they originated along their orbits. Their lengths in our Milky Way galaxy vary wildly. Very short stellar streams are relatively young, while those that completely wrap around a galaxy may be almost as old as the universe. A stream that is fully wrapped around the Andromeda galaxy could be more than 300,000 light-years long but less than 3,000 light-years wide.
With Roman, astronomers will be able to search nearby galaxies for globular cluster stellar streams for the first time. Roman’s Wide Field Instrument has 18 detectors that will produce images 200 times the size of the Hubble Space Telescope’s near-infrared camera – at a slightly greater resolution.
“Roman will be able to take a huge snapshot of the Andromeda galaxy, which simply isn’t possible with any other telescope,” shared Christian Aganze, the lead author of a recent paper about this subject and a postdoc at Stanford University in California. “We also project that Roman will be able to detect stars individually.”
Imagine the results: Roman’s vast, exquisitely detailed images will allow researchers to easily identify many examples of globular cluster streams in Andromeda. To date, astronomers using existing telescopes in space and on the ground have been limited to studying a slightly smaller number of globular cluster streams within our Milky Way.
Is dark matter between the stars?
Dark matter, which many assume to be a particle, can’t yet be observed directly, because it doesn’t emit, reflect, refract, or absorb light. If we can’t see it, how do we know it’s there? “We see dark matter’s effect on galaxies,” Aganze clarified. “For example, when we model how galaxies rotate, we need extra mass to explain their rotation. Dark matter may provide that missing mass.”
All galaxies, including the Milky Way, are surrounded by a dark matter halo. As astronomers glean more about the nature of dark matter, they may find evidence that a galaxy’s halo may also contain a large number of smaller dark matter sub-halos, which are predicted by models. “These halos are probably roughly spherical, but their density, sizes, and even if they exist isn’t currently known,” explained Tjitske Starkenburg, a co-author and a research assistant professor at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
Roman will redefine their search. “We expect dark matter to interact with globular cluster streams. If these sub-halos are present in other galaxies, we predict that we will see gaps in globular cluster streams that are likely caused by dark matter,” Starkenburg continued. “This will give us new information about dark matter, including which kinds of dark matter halos are present and what their masses are.”
Aganze and Starkenburg estimate that Roman will efficiently deliver the data they need within nearby galaxies – requiring only a total of one hour – and that these observations may be captured by the High Latitude Wide Area Survey.
Starkenburg will also help lay the groundwork for this investigation through her contributions to another project recently selected for funding by NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Research and Support Participation Opportunities program. “This team plans to model how globular clusters form into stellar streams by developing a much more detailed theoretical framework,” she explained. “We’ll go on to predict where globular clusters that form streams originated and whether these streams will be observable with Roman.”
Aganze is also excited about other projects currently or soon coming online. “The European Space Agency’s Euclid mission is already starting to explore the large-scale structure of the universe, which will help us learn more about the role of dark matter,” he said. “And the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will soon scan the night sky repeatedly with similar goals. The data from these missions will be incredibly useful in constraining our simulations while we prepare for Roman.”
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with participation by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech/IPAC in Southern California, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, and a science team comprising scientists from various research institutions. The primary industrial partners are Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation in Boulder, Colorado; L3Harris Technologies in Melbourne, Florida; and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging in Thousand Oaks, California.
Claire Blome works for the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The fundraising efforts of the Lakeport Fire Volunteers Association are making possible the purchase of a new piece of equipment for the Lakeport Fire Protection District.
On Thursday evening, the fire district board of directors held a special meeting to discuss just one item — granting permission for the district to accept a donation to purchase a utility terrain vehicle and the accompanying trailer.
The Can Am Defender vehicle, or UTV, will be used by the district for an off-road rescue program.
The volunteers raised $36,200, which will cover the entire purchase; the UTV costs $31,200 and the trailer costs $5,000.
Capt. Spencer Johnson, on behalf of the Lakeport Fire Volunteers Association, presented Chief Patrick Reitz with the $36,200 check during the Thursday meeting.
Johnson told Lake County News that the firefighters association raised the funds through several sources.
Those included putting on a comedy show at Konocti Harbor last year, a Haunted Lake County donation in 2022, proceeds from a slide at the Dickens Festival and money the volunteers had already raised from past fundraisers, Johnson said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Janine Smith-Citron
Kelseyville Riviera Community Association members and residents are invited to participate in the upcoming town hall meeting on Thursday, Jan. 25, from 6 to 7 p.m.
The meeting will be held in the association clubhouse, located at 9689 State Highway 281, across from the Riviera Foods Market.
Lake County Community Development Department Director Mireya Turner will attend the town hall meeting to learn how Community Development may align with the association to develop new amenities within the community such as parks and other recreational facilities, as well as opportunities regarding improvements to community infrastructure.
The association’s town hall meeting, organized by community members, will provide an overview of the draft strategic plan.
Facilitated break-out discussions will provide attendees the opportunity to share with the association their suggestions and priorities for ensuring a safer, more enjoyable and more vibrant community.
“The association staff and leadership are committed to continually exploring strategies to enhance the quality of life for our residents, increase property values, and strengthen partnerships with local leaders and entities that are or wish to become invested in our Community,” said Board President Moses Ornelas Valdez. “A united approach with community stakeholders will ensure that we are aware of and properly accessing available resources to refine and achieve our goals.”
Established in 1964, the Kelseyville Riviera Community Association includes 1,543 homes, 1,246 undeveloped parcels, 19 commercial properties and covers over five square miles of land.
The association is governed by a five-member board of directors who are elected through an annual election with staggered terms.
Numerous committees, spearheaded by volunteer members, work to address issues and pursue ideas.
Together, their common goal is to seek meaningful ways to advance community safety, develop additional amenities and bring greater value to the community.
Kelseyville Riviera Community Association members are highly encouraged to get involved in their community and to be part of its strategic plan implementation.
For more information about the town hall meeting, contact Janine Smith Citron at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The agency’s Eureka office, which provides forecasts for Lake County, said the incoming rainfall will be more moderate than this past weekend’s.
However, forecasters warned that flooding will be possible in some areas where soils are already saturated.
Rainfall levels for Lake County for Friday afternoon through Sunday are predicted to range between 2 to 3 inches from Lakeport to the Northshore and between 4 and 6 inches in the south county.
While much of the rest of the country is facing plunging temperatures, Lake County’s forecast appears more moderate.
Daytime temperatures will hover in the 50s while at night will remain in the mid to high 40s, based on the forecast.
Winds with gusts close to 30 miles per hour are forecast for Saturday and more than 20 miles per hour on Sunday.
The forecast calls for rain or chances of rain through Thursday.
Email Elizabeth Larson at