Learn something new every day More Info... by email Dark energy
is a very sparse, uniform negative pressure that permeates the
entire observable universe. It accounts for 70% of the
mass/energy in the universe and is responsible for its
accelerating rate of expansion. Dark energy is unlike the energy
we are familiar with because it is not concentrated locally, as
is the case with stars and galaxies, manifestations of
conventional matter and energy. There are many other important
differences between conventional energy and dark energy, which
physicists continue to investigate. The exact form or mechanism
of operation of dark energy is unknown. In this respect, it is
similar to its cousin, dark matter, which can only be observed
by the influence it has on normal matter and energy. There are
two major theories for the form of dark energy, although one is
more prominent than the other. The first theory, quintessence,
describes the dark energy as a fluctuating field that changes
its intensity based on location. Th