What is the Dark Matter?
Have you ever wondered why stars and planets in the universe rotate around their own axis, or why galaxies rotate around each other? Well, if you have, the answer may be dark matter. Dark matter and dark energy are two of the most prominent mysteries in the science world today. Although dark matter is known to comprise roughly 27% of all matter in the universe, nobody knows what it actually is! In this article, we'll learn what it is and what its history has been over time to get us where we are today with our knowledge of it.
What Is Dark Matter?
Dark matter is an invisible and mysterious substance that makes up 27% of the universe. It does not emit or absorb light, and it cannot be detected by telescopes. However, we know it exists because of its gravitational effects on visible matter. Dark matter is thought to be made up of exotic particles that have yet to be discovered. It is distributed evenly throughout the universe, and its effects are most noticeable on large-scale structures such as galaxies and clusters of galaxies.
Why Do Scientists Believe In It?
Scientists believe in the existence of dark matter because of its gravitational effects on visible matter. In essence, they can see its effects, but they can't see the matter itself. dark matter is also believed to make up most of the universe's mass. So far, scientists have been unable to directly observe dark matter, but they're confident it exists based on its effects on other objects in space.
Can We Prove That Dark Matter Exists?
One of the most difficult things about dark matter is that, by definition, it does not emit or reflect light. This makes it very hard to detect. However, there are a few ways scientists have been able to infer its existence.
One way is by looking at how stars move within galaxies. If all the mass in a galaxy was visible, then the stars on the outer edges would orbit more slowly than those closer to the center. But observations have shown that all stars regardless of location orbit at about the same speed. Scientists believe this can be explained if there is an invisible halo of dark matter surrounding the visible part of the galaxy.
Another way scientists have detected dark matter is through its gravitational effects on large clusters of galaxies.
Where Do We Look For Answers?
Scientists have been looking for answers about dark matter for centuries. One of the first scientists to hypothesize about its existence was Isaac Newton. In the early 1900s, scientists discovered that galaxies were moving faster than they should be based on their visible mass. This led to the theory that there must be an invisible form of matter holding these galaxies together. Decades of research have led us to a better understanding of dark matter, but we still have more questions than answers. Scientists believe that dark matter makes up about 27% of the universe. However, we have not been able to directly observe it. indirect evidence suggests that it does exist. One way scientists look for dark matter is by using a technique called gravitational lensing.
How Much of Our Universe Is Made Of Dark Matter And Energy
The most recent estimates suggest that the total mass-energy of the universe is only 4.9% ordinary matter, 26.8% dark matter and 68.3% dark energy. So, dark matter and energy make up 95.1% of our universe!
But what exactly is dark matter? Scientists don't know for sure, but they have a few theories. One possibility is that it's made up of hypothetical particles that don't interact with light or other electromagnetic radiation, which is why we can't see it.
Another possibility is that it's made up of massive compact halo objects (MACHOs), which are extremely dense objects like black holes or neutron stars.