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[Log4Girlz]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...ered-one-made-almost-entirely-of-dark-matter/


"But now scientists have found something entirely new: a galaxy with the same mass as the Milky Way but with only 1 percent of our galaxy's star power. About 99.99 percent of this other galaxy is made up of dark matter, and scientists believe it may be one of many.

The galaxy Dragonfly 44, described in a study published Thursday in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, is 300 million light years away. If scientists can track down a similar galaxy closer to home, however, they may be able to use it to make the first direct detection of dark matter."


A Galaxy the mass of the milky way with 1% of the stars. Amazing.

 

[The Elite]

This universe keeps on giving.

Huzzah!

 

[Blackage]

Why are you so vast and scary universe?

 

[Abstruse Moose]

That's a lot of turtles!

 

[Manu]

So that's where all our doppelgangers live.

 

[Orbis Tabula]

Oh, man. That's awesome. I suppose it should have been obvious that it was possible, but I never considered it. Very cool.

 

[Trojita]

What ate up all the stars

 

[TimeEffect]

I wonder if the universe gets crazier/different further out from us. Like, if it was like a layered cake, and we're in some pretty boring part of it

 

[DeadlyParasite]

Do we know what Dark Matter does exactly? Does it block light, can be used for fuel, what exactly?

 

[Transistor]

So is this where Nibbler's from?

 

[Antiwhippy]

What ate up all the stars

Galactus.

 

[chrisPjelly]

Dark matter is the NX of the astrophysics field. WHAT THE HELL IS IT?!

 

[RelaxedOtter]

That's really cool. Also really weird. Hope that dark matter is able to be explained in my lifetime, really interested to know wth it is.

 

[MMarston]

 

[DiipuSurotu]

What if something lives there, something that we aren't meant to disturb

 

[Orbis Tabula]

Do we know what Dark Matter does exactly? Does it block light, can be used for fuel, what exactly?

It doesn't block light, it just doesn't interact with it at all. That's why they call it dark. You can't find it by looking at how it reflects or refracts or absorbs light, because it doesn't do anything. We do know that it has mass, because it does exert a gravitational effect. That's the only way we can see it: By noticing that some large invisible gravitational force is doing something to its neighbors. For example, galaxies spin at a rate that doesn't make sense if you only add up the visible mass, so there must be invisible mass to explain how galaxies aren't constantly being flung apart by their own rotation.

 

[Amagon]

Misread thread title as "Dank matter Galaxy discovered".

Meh.

 

[Affeinvasion]

Or a galaxy completely farmed of it's resources littered with the dormant mechanical purge-suits of its hibernating super-intelligent masters just waiting to be discovered...

 

[kasane]

What if something lives there, something that we aren't meant to disturb

cthulhu incoming

 

[SirMossyBloke]

I love everything about space, but I wish I understood it.

 

[Rentahamster]

How do they estimate the mass of these things again? Observation of the gravitational effects? Or a protractor?

 

[Androidsleeps]

This year is brought to you by: "it's happening".
Seriously though, I love any news about space.

 

[ThisGuy]

Nvm

I don't know what I'm asking lol.

 

[Sblargh]

What makes it a galaxy and not just a bunch of nothing?
(can't read the link, sorry)

 

[inky]

What if something lives there, something that we aren't meant to disturb

Just pick the red option when the kid asks you.

 

[Woorloog]

Dark matter is the NX of the astrophysics field. WHAT THE HELL IS IT?!

Possibly WIMPs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weakly_interacting_massive_particles

Basically, "junk" left over from the early stages of the universe. I mean, what else do you describe stuff that isn't anything, uh, else (like hydrogen)?

Funny stuff.

 

[EightBitNate]

Is there a reason for all the recent space news?

 

[E92 M3]

Space is just so fascinating and trying to fully comprehend the enormity of it can lead to psychological damage hahah.

 

[Shy]

DRILL BABY DRILL!!!

��

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

300M light years away. Jesus Crisis.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Is there a reason for all the recent space news?

It's rad.

 

[rokkerkory]

space is truly the final frontier

we need to get off earth asap

 

[MMarston]

space is truly the final frontier

we need to get off earth asap

BUT MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRPH

 

[psynergylover]

What if something lives there, something that we aren't meant to disturb

We ain't disturbing anything 300 million light years away.....yet

 

[Mindlog]

Space is trying to fill us with wonder to rebound from the whole 'creation of life' disaster.

 

[Waddle Dee]

Ah, dark matter. Good thing I'm a platforming expert!

 

[Imperfected]

But now scientists have found something entirely new: a galaxy with the same mass as the Milky Way but with only 1 percent of our galaxy's star power.

I move that it be renamed the Shia Labeouf Galaxy.

 

[The Kree]

Dark matter is the NX of the astrophysics field. WHAT THE HELL IS IT?!

It's probably just more regular matter, right?

 

[Poyunch]

But how much closer to the center of the universe am I?

 

[Aselith]

space is truly the final frontier

we need to get off earth asap

Proper deep ocean exploration first

 

[Akira]

What percentage of the Milky Way is dark matter?

 

[MMarston]

But how much closer to the center of the universe am I?

i hear that if you get to the dark matter galaxy that you

Spoiler

somehow find yourself on Earth all over again, albeit with a different aesthetic

 

[Ether_Snake]

It doesn't block light, it just doesn't interact with it at all. That's why they call it dark. You can't find it by looking at how it reflects or refracts or absorbs light, because it doesn't do anything. We do know that it has mass, because it does exert a gravitational effect. That's the only way we can see it: By noticing that some large invisible gravitational force is doing something to its neighbors. For example, galaxies spin at a rate that doesn't make sense if you only add up the visible mass, so there must be invisible mass to explain how galaxies aren't constantly being flung apart by their own rotation.

Why would it not attract light if it does have a gravitational pull? Does it still attract other stuff, just not light?

 

[Dan]

Dragonfly 44 is a pretty cool name.

 

[Aikidoka]

It doesn't block light, it just doesn't interact with it at all. That's why they call it dark. You can't find it by looking at how it reflects or refracts or absorbs light, because it doesn't do anything. We do know that it has mass, because it does exert a gravitational effect. That's the only way we can see it: By noticing that some large invisible gravitational force is doing something to its neighbors. For example, galaxies spin at a rate that doesn't make sense if you only add up the visible mass, so there must be invisible mass to explain how galaxies aren't constantly being flung apart by their own rotation.

The way Dark Matter bends light is actually key evidence that we know it's there. It's called gravitational lensing and is one of the phenomena described by general relativity. see here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_matter#Galaxy_clusters_and_gravitational_lensing

edit:

Why would it not attract light if it does have a gravitational pull? Does it still attract other stuff, just not light?

well, light has no mass, so it's natural to think of it as not being affected whatsoever by gravity. BUT, it turns out that the idea of a "gravitational pull" isn't so accurate. Basically, gravity is a result of distortions in space (and time, but whatever) so effects can be observed by anything that travels through space (and time), such as light.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

Cool. Within my lifetime, I might see the discovery of what dark matter actually is.

 

[MMarston]

Dragonfly 44 is a pretty cool name.

the name of our doom

 

[OG_Original Gamer]

Everyone's Doppelganger is on the Otherside

 

[Fuzzery]

What ate up all the stars

Sorry guys I got hungry

 

[The Technomancer]

Why would it not attract light if it does have a gravitational pull? Does it still attract other stuff, just not light?

It will warp it, but it doesn't reflect and absorb it, or otherwise interact via the electromagnetic force