Astronomers from the University of Alabama have discovered the first dark matter subhalo right in our galactic neighborhood — only about 2,300 light-years from the Sun.

Using data from 27 binary pulsars — ultra-precise cosmic clocks — researchers noticed tiny irregularities in their timing. These shifts couldn’t be explained by known physics like gravitational waves or stellar motion.

The best explanation? A dense clump of invisible matter — a dark matter subhalo weighing about 24 million Suns.

Dark matter makes up most of the Universe, yet it can’t be seen directly. It reveals itself only through gravity. And now, for the first time, we’ve found a hidden structure so close to our Solar System.

This discovery doesn’t just confirm long-standing theories — it also opens a brand-new way to hunt for dark matter, using pulsars as detectors of the unseen.

The invisible is closer than we thought.