Dark matter bridge

Dark matter bridge between galaxy clusters discovered

Finding supports of the standard theory of structure formation oft he universe

By Clara Moskowitz

updated 7/5/2012 11:33:38 AM ET

Jörg Dietrich, University of Michigan/University Observatory Munich

A July 2012 study of the galaxy clusters Abell 222 and Abell 223 found they are connected by a dark matter filament, shown here. The blue shading and the yellow contours indicate the density of matter. The image on the sky is about twice as big as the full moon.

By Clara Moskowitz

A giant string of invisible dark matter has been discovered across the universe between a pair of galaxy clusters.

The filament forms a bridge between two huge clusters called Abell 222 and Abell 223, which lie 2.7 billion light-years away. The universe is thought to be filled with such strings of dark matter, a mysterious substance that cannot be seen, only sensed through its gravitational pull.

Scientists have made previous attempts to find dark matter filaments, which are predicted by theories that suggest galaxy clusters form at the intersections of filaments. Dark matter is thought to make up 83 percent of all matter in the universe/.../
.
Also from Kurzweil