Astronomy students discover a tiny nearby galaxy hid an enormous secret

It started with a homework assignment: A University of Texas astronomy class run jointly by its Austin and San Antonio campuses has led to students making a discovery that has landed in the pages of a scientific journal. 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. Some scientists have recommended it as a key place in the local unive