The energy created via the Big Bang causing the outward expansion of the known universe is called 'dark energy'..
It is the stuff that causes a firework to send all the pretties expanding overhead with the effect....Ooohs, and aaaahhhs..
Lately though Scientists have something new to talk about in the lunch room..
A galaxy like our Milky Way is about 100,000 light years across..
Galaxy clusters are up to a thousand galaxies kind of 'hanging out' together.....Galaxy,.... friends...
Yeah, there all over out there, conforming to the speed limits and directions dictated by 'dark energy' and gravity...There are accidents of course...In fact the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies are due to collide in about 3 billion years...
It seems a natural element of continued growth is in play..When galaxies collide or merge new stars are created replacing others that have run the course of their life..
Yeah, there all over out there, conforming to the speed limits and directions dictated by 'dark energy' and gravity...There are accidents of course...In fact the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies are due to collide in about 3 billion years...
It seems a natural element of continued growth is in play..When galaxies collide or merge new stars are created replacing others that have run the course of their life..
Anyway, out there in the sky in a region between the constellations Centaurus and Vela there are some galaxy clusters that are moving very fast and also....going in the wrong direction...Something is pulling these big dogs, up and out, and in a big way (2 million mph)...Compared to our leisurely 1.34 million mph jaunt across the universe..
Scientist have termed the previously unknown energy source 'Dark Flow'...
Scientist have termed the previously unknown energy source 'Dark Flow'...
The current conclusion in the lunch room is that whatever is driving these clusters must lie beyond the known universe...
In these regions, space-time might be very different, and likely doesn't contain stars and galaxies (which only formed because of the particular density pattern of mass in our bubble). It could include giant, massive structures much larger than anything in our own observable universe. These structures are what researchers suspect are tugging on the galaxy clusters, causing the dark flow.
In these regions, space-time might be very different, and likely doesn't contain stars and galaxies (which only formed because of the particular density pattern of mass in our bubble). It could include giant, massive structures much larger than anything in our own observable universe. These structures are what researchers suspect are tugging on the galaxy clusters, causing the dark flow.
Tugging???....That's a mightly polite definition...
So, yeah, this new discovery should help scientist in the future better understand what was going on before the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago, and also,....what's going on outside the universe that we can 'see'...
So, yeah, this new discovery should help scientist in the future better understand what was going on before the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago, and also,....what's going on outside the universe that we can 'see'...
Resorces: Space.com HubbleSite.org
