Local Group Hidden in a Vast Dark Matter Sheet, Study Suggests

A Nature Astronomy study proposes that the Milky Way and its Local Group are embedded in a gigantic flat sheet of dark matter, with mass concentrated at the sheet's edges and voids beyond. Using a simulated “virtual twin” of the group, the researchers show this geometry can explain peculiar motions that spherical halos can't, aligning local dynamics with the broader cosmological model and offering the first assessment of dark matter distribution in our neighborhood.