What phenomenon dictates the orbits of members within the Local Group, despite their unseen nature?
Answer
Dark matter halo
The overall dynamics and gravitational binding of the Local Group are largely governed by the presence of dark matter. The Local Group, similar to individual galaxies, possesses a significant dark matter halo that constitutes the majority of its mass budget. Although this mass component is invisible, its gravitational influence is essential; it actively keeps the dozens of scattered galaxies bound together and precisely dictates the paths and orbits followed by all the members within the collection.
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