Dark matter mystery grows - AP

[applegrove]

Dark matter mystery grows
Associated Press

NEW YORK — The Hubble Space Telescope has shown a mysterious form of energy first conceived by Albert Einstein, then rejected by the famous physicist as his “greatest blunder,” appears to have been fuelling the expansion of the universe for most of its history.

This so-called “dark energy” has been pushing the universe outward for at least nine billion years, astronomers said Thursday.

“This is the first time we have significant, discrete data from back then,” said Adam Riess, a professor of astronomy at Johns Hopkins University and researcher at NASA's Space Telescope Science Institute.

He and several colleagues used the Hubble to observe 23 supernovae — exploding white dwarf stars — so distant their light took more than one-half the history of the universe to reach the orbiting telescope. That means the supernovae existed when the universe was less than one-half its current age of approximately 13.7 billion years.

...........SNIP"

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061116.wdarke1116/BNStory/Science/?cid=al_gam_nletter_newsUp

[ClusterFreak]

1. That's cool stuff!

And it puts my head through, too...so please stop!;)

[Kutjara]

2. Well, the dark energy mystery anyway.

It's unclear if dark matter and dark energy are related phenomena or not. Indeed, if dark matter exerts a gravitational attraction, it is likely that it exerts a countervailing force to that of dark energy, which is conjectured to be repulsive.

The dark energy mystery is certainly very exciting, because it concerns the ultimate fate of our universe and may point the way to new propulsion systems. Or it may not. I can't wait to see what happens.

[applegrove]

3. Yes.. I like teh 13.7 Billion timeline. Puts one's problems in perspective.

[FogerRox]

4. I just love this stuff, thanks.

[irislake]

5. Maybe

that's what God is.

[applegrove]

6. I was thinking the same thing. We are getting closer to the truth all the time.

Closer to what God is.

[Botany]

7. So is there dark energy in my closet?

And is it pushing my shirts apart or together as the universe expands.

Just wondering :rofl:

[applegrove]

8. LOL. Explains my stomach!