Is Earth Surrounded by Dark Matter?

Is Earth Surrounded by Dark Matter?

www.sciam.com

Dark matter is five times as abundant as normal matter in the universe. But it continues to be an enigma because it is invisible and nearly always passes right through normal matter. Astronomers only found out about dark matter by inferring its presence from the gravity it exerts—notably, it keeps spinning galaxies from flying apart. Rather than peering at distant galaxies to study it, though, astronomers might want to look closer to home: dark matter could be exerting measurable effects in our own solar system.

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Related News Links:
imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov
en.wikipedia.org
www.physorg.com

I'll be clear here that I'm not a scientist. I have an interest in science and subscribe to a few newsletters. The article is interesting in that it draws the attention to the brilliant methods scientists use to test their theories. There's an assumption that scientists fit the facts to please them. Others insist that scientists bury their heads and ignore what they don't like. Even the popular idea that we couldn't have developed technologies without Alien assistance is challenged here. We do a disservice to the mind of Man when we give credit for our achievements to something else.

The idea of dark matter is intrinsic in our understanding of what keeps the Universe together. It is needed to explain why galaxies to fly apart under their own revolution. It's also required to provide some of the missing mass of the Universe. Around 4% is visible mass e.g. stars, planets, protons etc. Dark matter is hypothezzied as presenting 22%.

I remind you that I'm no scientist! Dark matter can pass through visible matter and is therefore very difficult to measure! It can't be seen or touched by any conventional means. In my efforts to picture the universe with dark matter, I imagine a clear container with a slightly oily solution in it, that is the universe. If you can picture some air bubbles suspended in that solution, they represent the galaxies.

Amongst the many methods scientists are using to nail down dark matter is the Large Hadron Collider. Anyway, see what you think about the article. It really highlights what the best minds can accomplish when they are challenged. It also has the side effect of making the reader feel very mundane!



www.sciam.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Dark matter as opossed to dark energy?

I still don't understand the difference and now they think they could be one and the same?

Yes, article good don't feel so much mundane as a complete and utter idiot! I wish I could get my grey matter round this stuff...going off now to lie down in darkened room..

If it exists in the solar system, most dark matter is doubtless concentrated in Washington and Wall Street.

Okay, joke out of the way...

The idea that dark matter (if it exists, and if anyone can define exactly what it is--two pretty big ifs) would clump about normal masses seems logical on the surface, but this is simply a guess on the researchers' part.

It may behave very differently; perhaps it is uniform, or perhaps it composes a "dark" parallel universe intermingled with our own, but structured in a totally different manner.

Point is, who knows? All these ideas are speculation, unfortunately, upon something yet to be actually proven to exist.

BTW, the end of the article mentions some new theories which have not yet been published; it would be good to have any info about them, other than that they have been presented in slide lectures and other scientists are trying to get a hold of them. Great help, that info!

dark matter is the matter that originally filled this universe before the big band punched a hole into this universe from another one and all the matter you see poured in..
being totally opposite to the matter all stars and planets are made of we will never detect it only see its effects...
the dark matter repels normal matter like soap repells oil by pushing it into spheres..
thats why planets \ stars are sphere shaped not from gravity within but by the force of dark matter pushing down on it equally from all directions...

hello all

is it possible that dark matter IS gravity?

sorry if this looks like a one liner and im thicker than a whale omlet so what would i know.

Question remains for the bods!

cheers

david

Originally posted by drevill
hello all

is it possible that dark matter IS gravity?

sorry if this looks like a one liner and im thicker than a whale omlet so what would i know.

Question remains for the bods!

cheers

david

exactly what im saying its like trying to push 2 magnets together with the same poles..dark matter repels matter...

imagine a submarine down 400 m below sea level..
the weight of the water is trying to crush the submarine..
the same is with the dark matter pushing on the the surface of a planet...