What is the Dark Matter that exists between the visible patches of space? We can't see it, and we (so far) can't prove it exists; but we've theorized its existence and we think we know what's there: beer foam. Dark Matter is a wonderfully wicked-sounding word that describes the mysterious murk of the universe.
I think it's best if we start at the beginning: “Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly hugely mind-bogglingly big it is.” ~Douglas Adams, “The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.”
Despite the assertions of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, astronomers know of no Restaurant at the End of the Universe. However, there is a very nice Bar at the Center of the Galaxy.
Because our galaxy, like many others that astronomers have observed, appears to be spinning much too quickly. The rapid rotation should be tearing it apart unless it is held together by a lot more gravity than can be explained by the stars, gas and dust we can see. More gravity means more mass.
Scientists call this unseen mass “Dark Matter.” The Majewski team plans to sniff it out by observing its gravitational effect on stars within the Milky Way disk and on groups of stars that orbit the disk.
There are possibly entire solar systems and globlular clusters in orbit around the Milky Way that are entirely composed of Dark Matter. In fact, there may be a full third of our own Milky Way composed of the stuff. Right under our noses, but invisible to our detection. (Anybody remember Buckaroo Banzai?)
Mmmmm; galactic quantum beer foam.
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Chocolate Beer on November 13th, 2007
