rotation curve
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Dark Matter: How Do We Know?
In theoretical physics, there are countless theories as to what dark matter is. But how do we know it’s not a wild goose chase? Technically speaking, we don’t. But fortunately for us, this question comes back to one of the…
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Dark Matter: What We Know
I considered titling this post “Dark Matter Demystified” and including it in my “Cosmos Demystified” series…but honestly, there are some promises I can’t make! Dark matter is one of the most mysterious concepts in cosmology, second only to the even…
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Galaxies Demystified
From the smallest of irregular and dwarf galaxies, to the most spectacular of spirals, to the most massive of ellipticals, there’s no denying that galaxies are incredible objects. On this blog, we’ve covered a great deal of information about galaxies.…
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Is Dark Matter Real?
Here we are, people — it’s finally time to talk about dark matter! I’ve teased this subject in my last few posts. We’ve discussed how the idea originated — with observations of the rotation of galaxies. We’ve touched on the…
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How Massive are Galaxies?
If you needed to measure the mass of, say, a brick — or some other Earthly object — you could just set it on a scale. (Yes, scales measure mass, not weight.) With galaxies, it’s not so easy! I don’t…
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How Massive is the Milky Way?
Over centuries of philosophy and research, through the times of the classical astronomers to Galileo’s observations of the Milky Way, humanity’s understanding of our universe has evolved from a simple model of the sun and planets to a vast wheel…
