Scientists calculate the speed of free-roaming dark matter
When dark matter is the most pervasive substance in the universe, it's important that we know how quickly it can move. Thankfully, Syracuse University scientists may have just found that speed. By comparing distribution in the early universe with what we see today, researchers now estimate that free-roaming dark matter moves at 54 meters per second (177 feet per second). That's pokey in relation to other materials in space, and the calculation assumes that nothing gets in the way -- most dark matter is stuck in clumps. The number may not sound like much, but it could be vital to physicists wanting to test (and possibly prove) their theories about a very mysterious element.
[Image credit: NASA]
