space porn, dark energy, galaxies, infall pattern

Galaxies' Swan Dive May Give New Clues To Dark Energy

One day, we'll use images like this waterfall of galaxies to figure out where to refuel our ships with dark energy. That's because this computer simulation of millions of galaxies flowing towards the red zone, the area with the highest mass, gives some clues to the location and nature of dark energy and dark matter. The image shows a "snapshot" of galaxies in the process of forming large-scale structures, 10 billion years ago. Click through for details.

The whole picture occupies a space of 100 million light years and this computer simulation "paints" the densest areas red. The yellow lines show the intensity of the galaxies' velocities as they fall into the highest-density area. The speed of the galaxies' rush towards the center of the structure depends on the the balance between dark matter, dark energy and the overall expansion of the universe. Astronomers are learning how to measure this "infall pattern" by using a large survey of galaxies at different epochs. [European Southern Observatory]

10:00 AM on Mon Mar 3 2008
By Charlie Jane Anders
820 views
9 comments

Comments

geekgrrl at 11:01 AM on 03/03/08
Reply by Email
*

space porn is right, that's beautiful. and insane.
Klappstuhl at 11:04 AM on 03/03/08
Reply by Email
*

That's great.
Gopherit at 11:32 AM on 03/03/08
Reply by Email
*
Connectedness Index: 202

I disbelieve. Direction of motion of galaxies 10 billion l.y. away? They might be able to measure velocities from the doppler shifts, but there's no way they can measure the speed (the vector of motion) of the galaxies.
Gopherit at 11:32 AM on 03/03/08
Reply by Email
*
Connectedness Index: 202

Pretty picture, though.
Jeff-Minor at 11:36 AM on 03/03/08
Reply by Email
*

I disbelieve too. And it it pretty. But, since we don't know what dark energy is, or why it seems to be pushing the universe apart at an increasing rate, it's unlikely that we can model where it was, or is, or is going. After we explain inflation, we might be able to explain dark energy. But I doubt it.
Cheap Shot at 11:41 AM on 03/03/08
Reply by Email
*
Connectedness Index: 112

I heard that there is a correlation to Dark Energy and Fractals.
Klebert L. Hall at 11:47 AM on 03/03/08
Reply by Email
*

I just wish they'd called it something less silly-sounding. Reminds me of the Anti-Man episode of Dr. Who...
-Kle.
BlacklistedJoe at 12:21 PM on 03/03/08
Reply by Email
*

Hey all I'm going to have a party at the Plaza Hotel here in New York. Wanna come?
Gamelan at 07:05 PM on 03/06/08
Reply by Email
*

At least we lived in a mind journey of universe reality. Do not forget we just live on 10.000 years civilization, do you? That's the figure we got it and now we've successfully measured THE SPACE-TIME DANCE of 13.700.000.000 years, isn't right for you? Now we have to protect our One-Earth from global-warming, save our energy with alternative energy. It's too dark there, come on see our blue pale of the only one of our Earth, make it better future for our next generation though.