Dark Energy's Fingerprint Found in Distant Galaxies

Scientists don't know much about the mysterious phenomenon known as dark energy, but they do have a picture of what it's doing to the universe, namely, driving it apart.

In what may be the clearest detection of dark energy to date, astronomers at the University of Hawaii looked at microwaves left over from the beginning of the universe some 13.7 billion years ago. The scientists grouped the rays depending on whether they had passed through massive clusters of galaxies or bee-lined to Earthly detectors through areas largely lacking galactic real estate.

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Yeah, I've read this too in the science part of a german paper in the last days ... here: www.spiegel.de...
And am quite happy they finally found after 10 years some kind of proof for the existance of the 'dark energy' through the way of it's action ... I was just wondering if the scientist's ever find out the source of this energy and if everyone of us, who for example contributes to the 'expansion of the universe' by posting masses of messAges in a sped up way ... is doing quite the same as this energy

Here is a flowchart for the NASA's Beyond Einstein program which will use highly sensitive probes designed to gather more information about our universe, including zeroing in on what dark energy is.

Thanks for the replies. I have a feeling that you could both expound at greater length on this topic than I. I found it interesting as a layperson, but do not know the full extent of what 'dark matter' really means in terms of scientific development -- anyone care to elaborate and educate?
Cheers!

Well dark matter and dark energy are two different things and nobody knows what they are. I'm just as much a "layman" as you are on these things.

I think wikipedia offers a really good simple explanation:

Dark Matter:

In physics and cosmology, dark matter is matter that does not interact with the electromagnetic force, but whose presence can be inferred from gravitational effects on visible matter.

Dark Energy:

In physical cosmology, dark energy is an exotic form of energy that permeates all of space and tends to increase the rate of expansion of the universe.

Basically we use advanced satellites to measure the cosmic microwave background, which is a fancy term for a type of radiation which fills the entire universe. We use this data to determine the critical density of the universe. Think of critical density as the point at which the universe really doesn't want to expand or contract.

In a "flat universe" the critical density is equal to the mass/energy of the universe. Scientists have discovered that our universe is fairly flat yet dark matter + normal matter only account for 26% of what is needed to equal critical density. Thus they assume some "dark energy" makes up the other 74%.

I'm not sure that is entirely correct or a very good explanation.... but that is the way I understand it.