Hubble Space Telescope Detects Ring of Dark Matter

mknewman wrote with a link to a story on the NASA site indicating that they may have finally found dark matter using the Hubble telescope. We've discussed the stuff a few times in the last year, with the Hubble actually mapping out the dark matter in the universe in January. This, though, may be our first 'sighting' of the elusive substance. "NASA will hold a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT on May 15 to discuss the strongest evidence to date that dark matter exists. This evidence was found in a ghostly ring of dark matter in the cluster CL0024+17, discovered using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The ring is the first detection of dark matter with a unique structure different from the distribution of both the galaxies and the hot gas in the cluster. The discovery will be featured in the June 20 issue of the Astrophysical Journal."

Let's get this out of the way

[Anonymous Coward]

I heard it circles Uranus.

Re:Let's get this out of the way

[Corpuscavernosa]

Dammit, I totally thought I would be the only person to think of that one.

pic

[antiaktiv]

Screenshot or it didn't happen!

I didn't realize they could point it towards

[postbigbang]

Redmond Washington.

Ok, mod me as troll. I deserve it.

Re:pic

[Gospodin]

Here's the pic:

(Stupid lameness filter...)

Just don't piss them off!

[iknownuttin]

That we will have household humanoid robots by 2020 for under $50,000US. That we will enhance ourselves dramatically genetically and technologically by the end of the century.

It could happen. But if we piss off those robots and the genetically engineered humans, they may band together and start an extermination program of us humans. Then we'd have to flee the planet in a fleet of ships while the robots pursue us. Of course, with the genetically engineered humans, they'll look like us and they'd be used as spies. Of course, there may be a comuter scientist who falls in love with one of them and helps the robots take us out. Then he'll go insane and start imagining his robot lover.

I don't know if we really want to go there.

Re:Information Overload

[IgLou]

I for one welcome our new Information Overloads...

Urrectum

[Anonymous Coward]

They really need to change the name of that planet, to get rid of that stupid joke once and for all.

Re:Information Overload

[Duggeek]

I challenge you to find much more information on Dark Matter... that isn't purely speculative. Whining about the lack of information is even worse than the wildest of speculations. Get in the game!

So far, it's all in the name; we can't really see it, ergo; dark. It has some sort of mass-effect in the universe, ergo; it matters. The only thing we can't agree on is what Dark Matter is. Let the speculations begin!

1. - Maybe it's a Quantum Substance and we've already determined it's nature by giving it a name. If it ever gets in the way, just shine a light on it and it disappears!

2. - What if it follows an Uncertainty Principle instead? Find a cloud of it, then put the lens-cap on the telescope. If I don't believe it's there when I take the lens-cap off, will it be gone? (Call it “Schroedinger's Haze”?)

3. - The residue of “unnecessary emotions” cast-off by an advanced species? [memory-alpha.org]

4. - Star farts?

I'd like to hear any better ideas... [ducks]

Re:Information Overload

[Prince Vegeta SSJ4]

Leave Google out of this.

Re:Let's get this out of the way

[Anonymous Coward]

That may be the funniest website on the internet.

Yeah sure. Let's see if you still think that way when you turn 12.

What's the matter?

[durin]

Hmmmm....

The fact of the matter is, that doesn't look like dark matter to me, more like white matter.
Oh well, it doesn't matter...