djamp42 t1_j13jmhw wrote
Because we can only see so far in the universe, how can we be so sure all the matter that is missing isn't just out of view from us?
Subject_Meat5314 t1_j14bmjh wrote
The only reason we need dark matter to exist is to explain the things we can see. For galaxies to work they way they work, given current understanding of how gravity works, they need more mass. That mass has to be somewhere in the galaxy. And there are plenty, as in trillions, of galaxies that are entirely contained in what we call the observable universe.
pressedbread t1_j17wvx1 wrote
>And there are plenty, as in trillions, of galaxies that are entirely contained in what we call the observable universe.
Might not be that much. It seems like a lot because billions or trillions is a large number, but it might be a lot bigger
Bascna t1_j16awyo wrote
Because the gravitational effects of dark matter can be seen more locally.
For example, the rotational velocities of stars within spinning galaxies don't match the gravitational force that should be generated by the visible matter within those galaxies. To produce those velocities there must be a lot of unseen mass within those galaxies. Mass that is beyond the visible universe wouldn't increase the centripetal force within those galaxies.
Similarly we need unseen mass to account for the amount of curvature that we observe in instances of gravitational lensing. Such mass would need to be between us and the light sources, not beyond those light sources.
s1ngular1ty2 t1_j14m5yh wrote
The matter that is missing is in the part of the universe we can see because we see it's gravity.
MisterET t1_j141eo1 wrote
Because we can see tens of light years in every direction. And the matter we see doesn't match with our observations.
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