The Dark Matter Enigma
January 11th 2012 23:44
Category: Galaxies
The universe has a dark passenger. The current consensus is that a quarter of the universe is made of dark matter.(Dark matter and dark energy are two entirely different entities).
Dark matter by its very essence is a mysterious substance that is practically invisible.
The only way of detecting it is by studying the gravitational pull it exerts on visible matter.
The exact nature of dark matter for the time being remains a mystery puzzle not sure of where the pieces fit.
Astronomers have created a map consisting of images taken over 5 years from 10 million galaxies.
The map shows how light emitted from galaxies is distorted as it passes through massive pockets of dark matter.
From our perspective on Earth we can see the effects it has on the light coming from these galaxies situated about six billion light years away.
The study of light from distant galaxies gives us a privileged glimpse an insight as it were of this mysterious mass in the universe
The map resembles a network of gigantic dense (white) and empty (dark)
regions not unlike like enormous grains of white rice where the largest white regions are about the size of multiple Earth Moons.
Astronomers intend to image more than 10 times the area just mapped over the next three years.
The intention is that by mapping more dark matter than has been studied
previously, we will be in a better position to understand how this material is seemingly interacting with the galaxies within our universe.
Images: Van Waerbeke, Heymans, and CFHTLens collaboration et al.
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