Most Convincing Sign of Dark Energy's Presence Yet?

is this a real picture?

Yes, it's real. That's what the Sombrero Galaxy looks like from Earth, or at least at high magnification from Earth orbit. Beautiful isn't it? Who needs the latest fad in modern art when our universe provides such breathtaking and thought-provoking scenery?

thats a good point mike. it is pretty cool.

Question, could this be a meteor field the beginning of a new planetary system? A new sun pulling in debris with it's gravity.. Just my thinking of how our own may have started..Very interesting though...

I have to ask this. They theorized that the expansion of the universe is being driven by dark energy because they found that the distant galaxies are moving away faster and faster and the farther they look the faster they are going. My question is this: Isn't that exactly what we would expect to observe since as we look farther into the universe we are also looking backwards in time therefore the objects we are observing are closer to their initial velocities from the big bang?
Jim

This is a very exciting news. I'm looking forward to read more abouth the evidences that prove this teaory.

www.misschat.net

Jim - my amature understanding is that, no, in the vacuum of space they would expect matter to be expanding at the same, constant rate. So to find that not only is it getting faster, but faster at different rates depending on distance is rather incredable.

Additionally, this article is not talking about looking back towards the center of the universe, but out to the farther edges. That being so, we are more looking at what our own galaxies' future would be, rather than the past.

Nightgirl quote-
Jim - my amature understanding is that, no, in the vacuum of space they would expect matter to be expanding at the same, constant rate. So to find that not only is it getting faster, but faster at different rates depending on distance is rather incredable.
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No they expected to find the galaxies slowing down due to the force of gravity. But I think they forgot that even if they were slowing down it would not appear that way to us due to relativity.

Additionally, this article is not talking about looking back towards the center of the universe, but out to the farther edges. That being so, we are more looking at what our own galaxies' future would be, rather than the past.
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Again you are ignoring the effects of relativity. Everywhere we look is backwards in time. It is not possible to see the future.

Update some basic concepts...

On Light And Dark Mass And Energy
universe-life.com/2011/10/03/on-light-and-dark-mass-and-energy/

Most probably wrong common statements :

1) “ …could help solve mysteries such as the nature of the dark energy that is accelerating the expansion of the universe.”
2) “ Light has no resting mass, just energy. Gravity is a bend in space, therefore Gravity does not pull at light but the light 'bends' with space.

Most probably right :

1) The present universe expansion is an accelerating separation of galaxy clusters, fueled by singularity’s mass reconverting to energy since Big Bang. In the present universe nearly all mass formats are destined to reconvert to energy. The attempts to postpone this reconversion are termed evolution/natural selection. The accelerating pace of expansion is Newtonian.

2) Light has mass. Every object and every process in the universe is a progeny, consequence, derivative of singularity, energy-mass superposition, dualism. Gravity is NOT “a bend in space”. It is the propensity to natural-selection, to delay reconversion to energy, to maintain the energy in mass format. Light bends by gravity when gravity’s pull does not suffice to overcome light’s momentum. However, light’s momentum is no match for black-hole’s gravity…

Dov Henis (comments from 22nd century)

universe-life.com/2011/10/14/eotoe-some-implications-2/
universe-life.com/2011/10/02/neutrino-velocity-light-velocity/