Galaxies & Dark Matter Review

Mathematical Inconsistency

The observation that matter in distant galaxies seemed to be moving faster than it should be able to and remain in the galaxy, leading to the proposal of dark matter.

Open Cluster

Another name for an open cluster is a globular cluster, a group of stars held together by gravity.

Virgo Super Cluster

The nearest cluster of galaxies to the Milky Way, containing numerous galaxy groups and clusters.

CDMS

The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search at the Soudan Mine uses Germanium to detect Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs).

WIMP

Weakly Interacting Massive Particle, a candidate for dark matter.

Hubble's Discovery

The realization that our universe contained more than just our galaxy, based on his observations of other galaxies.

Dark Matter Interaction

Dark matter does not interact with light, except gravitationally.

Interstellar Nebula

Gas and dust in-between stars, also known as interstellar clouds or nebulae.

Milky Way Orbit

It takes the sun approximately 250 million years to orbit the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

Milky Way Size

The Milky Way galaxy is approximately 100,000 light years across.

Hubble's Discovery of Nebulae

Hubble discovered that some nebulae were composed of stars, challenging the previous belief that they were simply clouds of gas and dust.

Andromeda Galaxy

The large galaxy closest to the Milky Way, part of the Local Group of galaxies.

Spiral Galaxies

Galaxies that contain the most gas and dust, characterized by their spiral arms and disk structure.

Hubble's Law

Hubble's law indicates that the universe is expanding, with galaxies moving away from each other at speeds proportional to their distance.

Big Bang

The event that marked the beginning of the universe, where all matter was once part of the explosion.

Gravitational Lensing

The method used to detect dark matter in far-away galaxies by observing the bending of light due to gravitational forces.

Dark Matter Candidates

WIMPs, MACHOs, MOND, etc., are currently the best candidates for explaining dark matter.

Nebulae and Stellar Cycle

Nebulae are associated with the birth and death (recycle bin) portions of the stellar cycle.

Hubble Deep Field

An image taken in the Ursa Major constellation, revealing numerous galaxies and providing insight into the early universe.

Density Waves in Spiral Galaxies

Density waves cause matter in spiral galaxies to bunch up into arms, creating the characteristic spiral structure.

Parts of a Spiral Galaxy

Spiral galaxies consist of a disk, bulge, and halo, each with distinct characteristics and components.

Harlow Shapley's Discovery

Shapley determined the size of the Milky Way and approximated the sun's position within it, advancing our understanding of the galaxy's structure.

Supermassive Black Hole

A massive black hole located at the center of large galaxies, with a mass millions to billions of times that of the sun.

Interstellar Dust

Dust particles in space that obscure our view of the universe, making it difficult to see clearly to the extremes of the universe.

Dark Future of the Universe

The absence of hydrogen will cause the universe to go dark one day, as it is a crucial element for star formation and energy production.

Dark Matter Need in 1933

In 1933, galaxies spinning faster than they should and staying together indicated the need for the idea of dark matter.

Gravitational Lensing Evidence

Gravitational lensing, the bending of light by gravity, provides evidence for the existence of dark matter by distorting the light from distant objects.

Mass-Energy Equivalence

Only 4% of the mass-energy equivalence in the universe is visible matter, while dark matter constitutes 23% and dark energy 73%.

Universe's Expansion

The universe's expansion is accelerating, indicating the influence of dark energy and the potential for a dark future.