No Obvious Objects Produce Gamma Rays

[Dotini]

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/18oct_600mysteries/

"Fermi sees gamma rays coming from directions in the sky where there are no obvious objects likely to produce gamma rays," says David Thompson, Fermi Deputy Project Scientist from Goddard Space Flight Center.

"Of course we're hoping for something really exotic like dark matter, but we have to look first at all the other options," says Thompson. "Fermi is an ongoing mission. We'll continue to search for answers to these puzzles and perhaps turn up even more surprises."

Respectfully submitted,
Steve

 

[cepheid]

Your thread title alters the meaning of what was said drastically. I would interpret your phrase, "no obvious objects produce gamma rays," to mean, "we can think of anything astrophysical that would be a source of gamma rays." That's not true.

What they were actually saying was, "sometimes we see gamma rays coming from places in the sky where there is no sign of any source that is emitting them." In other words, "we can't figure where these particular gamma rays are coming from."

 

[Kronos5253]

Your thread title alters the meaning of what was said drastically. I would interpret your phrase, "no obvious objects produce gamma rays," to mean, "we can think of anything astrophysical that would be a source of gamma rays." That's not true.

What they were actually saying was, "sometimes we see gamma rays coming from places in the sky where there is no sign of any source that is emitting them." In other words, "we can't figure where these particular gamma rays are coming from."

Agreed. I thought the same thing after I clicked into the thread. Very misleading.

 

[Dotini]

Agreed. I thought the same thing after I clicked into the thread. Very misleading.

Agreed. The title needs needs some tweaking.

Respectfully, Steve

 

[pmacias]

, Scientist

I find this discovery by the Fermi telescope to be very intriguing. The fact that gamma rays are being detected from areas of the sky where there are no known objects capable of producing them raises many questions and presents a fascinating mystery to be solved. While the possibility of dark matter being the source of these gamma rays is certainly an exciting prospect, it is important to thoroughly investigate all other possible explanations before drawing any conclusions. I look forward to seeing what further research and analysis of this data will reveal and am eager to continue exploring the mysteries of our universe through the ongoing mission of Fermi.