An international team of astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has created the first three-dimensional map of the large-scale distribution of dark matter in the universe.
Dark matter is an invisible form of matter whose total mass in the universe is more than five times that of “normal” matter (i.e., atoms). The nature of dark matter is still unknown. Its presence in the universe is inferred from its current influence within galaxies and clusters of galaxies, and the gravitational effect it has had on the evolution of structure in the universe. The first direct detection of dark matter was made this past year through observations of the Bullet Cluster of galaxies.
This new map provides the best evidence to date that normal matter, largely in the form of galaxies, accumulates along the densest concentrations of dark matter. The map reveals a loose network of filaments that grew over time and intersect in massive structures at the locations of clusters of galaxies.
Still no sight of angels dancing — just in case pinheads are still waiting.
Does anyone think it’s possible that in a hundred years scientists are going to think of dark matter and dark energy the same way we now think of the luminiferous ether?
This is Awesome. Have you guys ever thought of putting in a preview button?
[Still no sight of angels dancing — just in case pinheads are still waiting]
Ed, I’m surprised. What makes this research less valid than other forms of astrophysics? All hard science is good and worth researching. You never know how the pieces might fall together.
#3 Mucous, Ed was just throwing in his gratuitous slam against religion. I find his obsession with other people’s beliefs a bit strange.
my caplock button has died. dark matter gravity bends light. it explains microlensing anomolies. if we’re positioned right we see planets thousands of light years away. we can even do spectral analysis of the atmospheric constituents. the map is useful as a gravitational topology of the universe.
#3 — every aspect of astrophysics is fascinating. Dweebs whose cerebral cortex is still captivated by the Dark Ages — are worth a chuckle at best.
Bah, I’ll believe it when they show me a bucket of it.
I agree with the popular comparison between dark matter and the luminiferous ether. I remain unconvinced and require conclusive evidence before I give up on alternative theories of gravity: http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn8631
I have often pondered, “what is the speed of dark?”
Dark matter, is a discription of SOMETHING they dont know, what it is…
thats ALL…
as far as we are concerned, its DIRT.
Careful #7 about making strict statements like that. We used to have a commenter here who used to say, “I don’t believe in dark matter — there will never be any means of quantifying it’s existence” — and used that as his justification for philosophic idealism.
Then, NASA and Hubble proved him exceedingly out of date.
Not that I think I’ll be handed a bucket containing much more than green chiles in my lifetime either. But, in the 1st article I read about this project, a scientist was interviewed who was convinced this measurement wouldn’t happen for several more centuries!
Before the discovery of radio waves communication traveled as fast as a man could ride a horse or sail a ship. Now even the most trivial of messages move at light speed across (and off!) the planet millions of times a day. Perhaps we are in a pre-radio wave position regarding dark matter; the knowledge base hasn’t reached critical mass just yet, and the Big Breakthrough lies an unknown distance in the future.
The cruelest joke is the flash of light life span of the individual human; I could spend a century or two watching, and coming to understand, the crash of ocean waves upon a rocky shore.
Robert A. Heinlien, despite his sexual obsessions, did leave us the word “grok”, which together with a rather loose interpretation of “ulladge” demonstrates how much we do not know.
Heinlein also left us the waldo, the social engineering concept of “people movers,” and a raft of other intriguing engineering notions. I doubt he was sexually obsessed so much – more like he enjoyed tweaking the sensibilities of the puritans. My opinion only; ymmv.