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Examining the Expected Effects of Dark Matter On the Solar System

Posted by timothy on from the picks-up-loose-dirt-gets-out-tough-stains dept.

First time accepted submitter LiavK writes "Ethan Siegel recently wrote a great post for ScienceBlogs discussing the expected total mass of dark matter in the solar system. As far as we can tell, dark matter only interacts weakly, via gravity, both with itself and normal matter. So, it can't collide with itself, meaning that it has no way of getting hotter and radiating away energy and momentum. This means that it remains a diffuse mess, with a density that is ridiculously low, to the point where detecting its local effects is likely to remain... challenging for the foreseeable future."

6 of 190 comments (clear)

  1. Re:The problem with dark matter by Ralph+Spoilsport · · Score: 3, Funny
    "hus, we have concluded there's a cat in the apartment... but nobody has actually ever seen the cat."

    Or, your significant other has some weird cat food fetish thing going on...
    Eeeek!
    :-)

    --
    Shoes for Industry. Shoes for the Dead.
  2. Re:Just the opposite by tqk · · Score: 4, Funny

    Michelson and Morley found nothing, they were full of shit.

    Yeah, experimenting to prove something beyond a shadow of a doubt is always just a waste of time and effort. I hear Kepler was disappointed to learn of elliptical orbits too.

    --
    "Tongue tied and twisted, just an Earth bound misfit ..." -- Pink Floyd.
  3. FTFY by justthinkit · · Score: 1, Funny

    Dark energy, the Ether of the 21st century.

    --
    I come here for the love
  4. Re: Dark Matter by Teresita · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, it binds the galaxy together.

  5. Re:Just the opposite by TonkoBoekhoud · · Score: 1, Funny

    Well, I sometimes want to see my dark matter explained. But most times, it's just flushed away...

  6. Re: Dark Matter by AK+Marc · · Score: 4, Funny

    Are you describing tentacle porn?

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    Learn to love Alaska