Dark Matter Halo 401-dark-matter-halo-dixon –This diagram created for the March, 2003 issue of Scientific American suggests the immense halo of mysterious dark matter that many astrophysicists believe surrounds our galaxy. The visible stars and gases of the Milky Way contribute less than ten percent of its total mass. A conceptual wedge cutaway from the massive, glowing blue and translucent white spherical structure exposes the interior layout, showing how the invisible mass distribution extends far beyond the visible galactic disk. The diffuse halo reaches into the surrounding deep space void, providing the gravitational scaffolding necessary to hold the spinning galactic structure together.
401-dark-matter-halo-dixon –This diagram created for the March, 2003 issue of Scientific American suggests the immense halo of mysterious dark matter that many astrophysicists believe surrounds our galaxy. The visible stars and gases of the Milky Way contribute less than ten percent of its total mass. A conceptual wedge cutaway from the massive, glowing blue and translucent white spherical structure exposes the interior layout, showing how the invisible mass distribution extends far beyond the visible galactic disk. The diffuse halo reaches into the surrounding deep space void, providing the gravitational scaffolding necessary to hold the spinning galactic structure together.
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