Overview

• Researchers analyzing the Herschel-SPIRE Dark Field image report possible evidence of a previously unknown population of faint 'hidden' galaxies.
• The discovery, if confirmed, could overturn existing models of galaxy numbers, formation, and evolution in the universe.
• These faint galaxies may account for the universe's missing infrared energy, solving a longstanding puzzle in astrophysics.
• The Herschel-SPIRE Dark Field image, created by stacking 141 infrared images, is the deepest far-infrared image ever produced.
• Plans for follow-up observations, including the proposed PRIMA mission, aim to confirm and study these galaxies in greater detail.