Astronomers: Dark Matter Guides Universe's Structure

Information Week ^ | 04/05/2009 | Bob Evans

[kenavi]

“There is in the world more things than are dreamt of in your philosophy Horatio.” (paraphrase)

[Glenn]

The dark matter's influence on galaxies "stops their constituent stars from flying off and it seems to be driving the large-scale galaxy clusters and super clusters"

Gosh. I seem to remember gravity having the same sort of behavior.

[TheRightGuy]

I don’t know much about astronomy or science, but I have a deep suspicion that in the grand scheme of things we are incredibly tiny.

[Bhoy]

PelosiDoddReid are huddling now writing a bill to tax something to halt the expansion of the universe. It’s Bush’s fault.

[rdl6989]

Ping.

[fish hawk]

There is little doubt that there is an abundance of dark matter. What we are lacking is an abundance of gray matter.

[BobS]

Flying rocks = dark matter.

[Beowulf9]

Well, at least one thing; Alvie Singer did come up with the perfect reason not to do your homework.

[Sgt_Schultze]

...I have a deep suspicion that in the grand scheme of things we are incredibly tiny.

No we're not. We are destroying the planet just by exhaling the "pollutant" CO2. Haven't you heard?

[dr_lew]

The presence of dark matter is inferred by its presumed gravitational interaction with visible matter.

[MarkL]

I don’t know much about astronomy or science, but I have a deep suspicion that in the grand scheme of things we are incredibly tiny.

That's because "Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly hugely mindbogglingly big it is. I mean you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemist, but that’s just peanuts to space. "

Mark

[Daveinyork]

” invisible dark matter “seems to hold the galaxies together.”

Kind of like duck tape

[pallis]

Maybe the universe is alive, a big hungry creature, and we are in its tummy.

[cydcharisse]

One of the reasons for the study was that gravity can’t account for what is being observed. I’m no expert, but that’s what I’ve read.

[BillT]

Because we can see the far galaxies I suspect that this “dark matter” is in fact invisible matter with mass?

[qam1]

[navyguy]

Gravity does, but there is insufficient observable matter to account for all of the gravity necessary to explain the structures we see. Therefore some non-observable matter must account for the extra gravity. Hence, dark matter.

[Glenn]

Hence, dark matter.

Thanks to all for clearing it up.

Regards

[Captain Beyond]

bump