By: Jakob Olechiw

Dark Matter is one of the greatest mysteries of astronomy. It is said to make up over 90% of the universe. Astronomers have no actual proof of its existence, but there has been quite convincing evidence recently found by assorted different instruments. Dark Matter was determined to have a high mass that makes up a lot of the mass of galaxies all around us, including this one. The exact area that Dark Matter could be found is unknown through astronomers basic understandings. We still have hints like increased mass in certain areas that it may be found inbetween different galaxies linking them together. That fact makes it important to astronomers to know more about it. They want to learn more about all of the galaxies and this a major part. Scientists continue to chase dark matter and learn more about its compositions and properties. The way dark matter is created is still an unknown fact that is constantly pursued. Scientists are motivated by the fact that it makes up so much of the universe this would increase our knowledge of the makeup of the universe tenfold.

Scientists are devoted to searching for Dark Matter. This is because of its making up 90% of the universe (as earlier stated). One of the main ways that we search for Dark Matter is with gamma rays. The same satellites that find gamma ray bursts from black holes also detect the rays that are emitted when Dark Matter collides with similar particles. This is not the only way to search for Dark Matter, though it is a prominent one. Also some machines detect other less common forms of energy. These techniques have not been quite as successful as those detecting gamma rays. This is because less objects in space emit gamma rays than some of the other occurrences that other instruments in space are looking for like positrons and anti protons.

Many physicists are searching for Dark Matter. They are not all stationed in one area, but work in different enterprises all over the world. These scientists put extensive work and resources into searching for Dark Matter and to learn more about it. There are multiple different instruments throughout space devoted to Dark Matter. One such instrument is called PAMELA. This satellite detects and observes positrons while calculating if the data is unusual in any way, like a lot more of them than usual. The amount of these is sometimes unusual enough to suggest Dark Matter. PAMELA was made in Russia and was launched in 2006. Another device is called GLAST. GLAST was created by a branch of NASA called Fermi. GLAST uses the gamma ray detection method to look for Dark Matter. These are most likely

Astronomers continually run into problems with continuing with the search for dark matter. The positron technique is sometimes unreliable. This sort of emission could be emitted by a rotating neutron star called a pulsar. These are common enough that many scientists use them as evidence against the existence of Dark Matter. What we need to develop is another way to detect dark matter, one without any outside interference that might mislead the search. The thing is that we cant prove anything if it could be something entirely unrelated. This is important if scientists want to have reliable proof of Dark Matters existence. Only a basic guess is inaccurate and bad for publicity. Nobody cares about a random inference or guess. What scientists shoot for is true facts. So that is what makes this information or lack of information even more important.

Dark matter was not deliberately discovered. Nobody looked for Dark Matter to begin with. Scientists were measuring the mass of galaxies by observing their rotation. During this experiment the mass was measured as ten times the size found by other methods. The scientists reached the conclusion that there is an invisible particle making up most of the universe. This would mean that Dark Matter was abundant throughout the universe. Many scientists rejected that idea, some of the searchers were dismissed. One such German scientist Fritz Zwicky was the main person that provided compelling evidence of Dark Matters existence. He was treated as the founding father of the search for dark matter in the 1930s. As dedicated his life and resources to the search. Even so, the search was not completed in his life time, or even today. We still face obstacles to overcome in the search for dark Matter.

Dark Matter is still an unknown variable. No matter how hard we try to find proof of this mysterious masses existence. Several groups of reasons block even the most sophisticated astronomers from finding proof. Often a scientist will get so close but then be crushed by one or to little obstacles that completely bar his way. One of the most common sources of these obstacles are other scientists. They ridicule findings and the general public will not except the proof. Also astronomers simply get incorrect data that they present to the public only to prove it wrong themselves. This is also a very common obstacle. One might begin to think that we are nowhere near proving that Dark Matter does or does not exist, that is not entirely correct. Many close attempts have been made none have been successful. There is no standing proof in the knowledge of the world that Dark Matter is out there right now. Why is basically because of how Dark Matter has no unique properties that any human instrument can detect so far.

Recently a very close call occurred in the search for Dark Matter. The previously mentioned PAMELA (created by Fermi) detected a data spike. An unusually high amount of positrons was being emitted into space by an unidentified source. But, this source was not entirely in question, it could be Dark Matter colliding with other particles. There is of could of course be something else or the discovery of Dark Matter would be declared to the general public. If such a discovery were made this would not be called close now would it? A different situation also emits a lot of positrons. This is a pulsar. A pulsar is a high velocity rotating neutron star that tends to give off a lot of energy. Therefore it could have been a nearby pulsar that was causing a false alarm. This is always in question if an astronomer(s) get close to Dark Matter. Maybe we have found Dark Matter, we might not have realized it because there were other alternatives. The human race may never know.

Dark Matter is a variable that constantly changes in each astronomers eyes. Some of them might take it as a bogus idea that could never actually exist. Others engage in the search wildly and excitedly with a strong belief. There are many different cases other than these and they all depend on a few things. One is that scientists analyze data with different opinions. The other is that a scientist may not analyze quite the same or the same amount of data. Many have different views on why Dark Matter exists or doesnt exist. One specific view of Jrg Dietrich a German astronomer believes he has already found dark matter based on how light is being drawn away from us by an invisible gravitational source more than 2.5 billion light years away from Earth. This is a reason why. A lot of people would argue against this discovery. They might say that another source is bending the light, just one that our sensors cant detect. So the existence remains in of Dark Matter remains in question.