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Hubble Builds 3D Dark Matter Map

Posted by timothy on from the turn-left-go-fast dept.

astroengine writes "Dark matter can't be spotted directly because it doesn't interact with electromagnetic radiation (i.e. it doesn't emit any radiation and reflects no light). However, its gravitational influence on space-time can bend light from its otherwise straight path (a phenomenon known as 'lensing'). Using a sophisticated algorithm to scan a comprehensive Hubble Space Telescope survey of the cosmos, astronomers have plotted a map of 'weak lensing' events. Combining this with red shift measurements from ground-based observatories, they've produced a strikingly colorful 3D map of the structure of dark matter."

3 of 177 comments (clear)

  1. Shiny and beautiful... by Dilligent · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...but I fail to see the 3D that was promised by TFA.
    I agree it's a nice picture but there seems to be no explanation as to what these colours actually mean, let alone any kind of conclusion drawn from what I presume to be "pockets of dark matter".

    Anyone care to enlighten me?

    1. Re:Shiny and beautiful... by Chris+Burke · · Score: 5, Informative

      ...but I fail to see the 3D that was promised by TFA.

      Yeah sadly it's the data that's 3D, not the presentation. They located the dark matter in three dimensions, the 3rd being distance according to red shift which is how it's colored. I can see how it's hard to find the explanation, too, what with them breaking up the story every couple paragraphs with a giant bold link to something else. I thought those were different news items at first!

      Bad presentation in the article aside, this is pretty amazing work. What a phenomenal instrument we have in Hubble.

      The article on the the Hubble site, while similarly lacking a good explanation for the image, actually talks about dark energy more than dark matter. Apparently this data also indicates a universe expanding outward from every point, corroborating that theory, along with some GR experimental validation as well. Not bad for a days work.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
  2. Re:Nice pretty picture by Abcd1234 · · Score: 5, Informative

    ...especially when you consider it's a picture of something that very possibly doesn't even exist.

    It exists. Educate yourself.