Our universe is shaped like a pancake, reveals new study

Technology Jan 31, 2026

Scientists just discovered that the Milky Way, Andromeda, and nearby galaxies appear to sit inside a huge, flat layer of dark matter—think of it as a cosmic pancake stretching millions of light-years, with vast empty spaces above and below.

Research solves a long-standing mystery in astronomy

Researchers used new models and background radiation data to show that galaxy movements only make sense if this dark matter is in a sheet, not a sphere.
This solves a mystery that's puzzled astronomers for decades.
As Professor Amina Helmi put it, this model finally connects what we see out there with how galaxies actually behave—something older theories couldn't explain.
The findings were published in Nature Astronomy on January 31, 2026.