Roughly 80 percent of the mass of the universe appears to be dark matter: an invisible material that seems to interact with ordinary matter only through gravity, without emitting light or energy. Scientists cannot detect dark matter directly and don't yet know what it's made of, but they track its influence based on the motions of stars and galaxies. The presence of dark matter is necessary to explain the universe's current structure.
Related Topics: The Big Bang Theory, Black Holes, The Theory of Relativity in Space, Gravitational Waves
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.
Latest about dark matter
Puffy white dwarfs could shed light on mysterious dark matter. Here's how.
Astronomers just took a big step toward a better understanding of white dwarfs, a discovery that could shed light on mysterious dark matter.
Could dark matter have been forged in a second 'Dark Big Bang?'
The Big Bang may not have been the origin of the universe's most mysterious matter. Instead, dark matter could have been created in a second creation event, a "Dark Big Bang."
Dead stars within supernova explosions could solve the dark matter mystery in 10 seconds
If astronomers could catch bursts of gamma rays from supernova explosions that create neutron stars near the Milky Way, the mystery of dark matter could be wrapped up in 10 seconds.
5 galaxies in perfect alignment challenge our best model of the universe
Astronomers have discovered a group of dwarf galaxies with distinct features that challenge predictions made by the prevailing cold dark matter (CDM) model.
Somewhere in the multiverse, dark energy is helping stars and life form
The strength of dark energy in our universe is not optimized for forming stars, which means other universes might have a greater likelihood of producing life.
'Superhighways' connecting the cosmic web could unlock secrets about dark matter
Giant filaments crisscross the universe, connecting galaxy clusters like superhighways between cities. But due to their complex shapes, they are stubbornly difficult to measure.
Dark matter might make space-time ring like a bell around black holes — and we might be able to 'hear' it
To explain why dark matter particles haven't come up in any direct detection experiments, physicists have wondered if it may be a kind of particle known as an axion.
James Webb Space Telescope finds galaxies pointing toward a dark matter alternative
A new study suggests galaxies in the early universe appear much larger and brighter than expected, precisely as predicted by modified Newtonian dynamics, or MOND.
