claywoman - Hi!<br /><br />Dark Matter: <br /><br />First, I would class dark matter into three categories:<br /><br />1. Ordinary matter that is relatively dark and therefore not observed. This would include extrasolar planets, brown dwarfs and other faint stars too distant to observe, small masses, etc.<br /><br />2. Exotic matter - unknown, theorized about, but not yet discovered. Neutrino mass has, if I remember correctly, gone from this category to the above category.<br /><br />3. Imaginary matter - These are various postulated forms of dark matter that do not actually exist except in scientific theories, hypotheses and speculations which will eventually be proven wrong.<br /><br />However, it is true that galactic rotations in outer belts indicate the existence of a halo of dark matter in outer areas.<br /><br />Normally, outer layers revolve slower so as to stay in orbit - faster would cause escape velocity.<br /><br />I will post a quote later after I type it out.<br /><br />[One of my theories: matter beyond our visibility horizon (perhaps expanding FTL {faster than light}) and attracting our universe by a domino effect causing acceleration of expansion - an alternate theory to dark energy]<br /><br />Dark Energy- AKA vacuum energy (as a property of space or space-time), AKA cosmological constant (as in Einstein's calculations).<br /><br />This could be more than one form of energy.<br /><br />For me, this would be the energy(s) God is using to stretch out our heavens like a fine gauze (see original Hebrew) as in this quote:<br /><br />(Isaiah 40:22) There is One who is dwelling above the circle of the earth, the dwellers in which are as grasshoppers, the One who is stretching out the heavens just as a fine gauze, who spreads them out like a tent in which to dwell, <br /><br />Astronomers use similar terminology in describing the nature of our universe with its threads, filaments and walls and overall stretching gauze-like appearance.<br /><br />Were gravity the only form of ene