The best dark matter map until now raises questions about the universe

Scientists in the dark energy survey have just released the best dark matter map, but it does not answer every question – if any, the cosmos may be more mysterious than before. As BBC News, Nature and Fermilab reports, a survey of 5,000 square degrees using a weak gravitational lens (in this case, how the gravity of the closest galaxy affects a distant view) to look for great patches of the relatively close section of the universe.

Data also helps study dark energy, the unexplained style that seems to speed up the universe expansion. The team produces a 3D map thanks to redshifting, or the tendency of objects appear red with distance.

Team members conduct observations using a 570 megapixel camera from Victor M. Blanco Telescope, in Chile’s Cerro Tupo Observatory, between 2013 and 2019.

While high detail is very helpful, it also validates fears that have floated for years. The des results show that the universe is slightly smoother and more uniform than expected. Meanwhile most supports the current theories that dark energy is a constant, the difference is sufficient that researchers may have to rethink existing ideas. The universe may not behave like scientists thinking, and the map of dark matter can cause new models that challenge the previous assumptions.