Published By: Satavisha

Mind-Boggling Facts About Dark Matter

Dark matter is one of the most puzzling and yet most ubiquitous substances in the universe that has plagued scientists for almost a century.

While things like human beings, the Earth, the Sun, and everything that emits or absorbs light in space are all made out of normal matter — including particles like protons, neutrons, and electrons. However, that only accounts for one-sixth of all the mass in the Universe. The remaining five-sixth, the overwhelming majority, is dark matter. Here are five mind-boggling facts about dark matter for you.

Dark matter is everywhere

Dark matter is the name given to all the mass in the universe that remains invisible, and there’s a whole lot of it. Research suggests that about 70% of the universe is composed of dark energy, whilst the remaining 25% is composed of a mysterious substance known as dark matter. We can’t see it, we don’t understand it, but we know it’s out there.

It is completely invisible

It is really hard to study dark matter because researchers have no way of seeing it. This weird substance doesn’t interact with light, thus, it is invisible. So how do we know it exists? Well, because it affects the universe in strange ways; and that’s something we can see.

Dark matter binds galaxies together

So dark matter can’t be seen, but it can be felt owing to its powerful impact on space.

Dark matter exerts ‘gravitational force’, meaning that it draws other matter towards it. And there’s so much dark matter out there, that its gravitational force is enough to hold entire galaxies – like our own Milky Way – together. Thus, dark matter is often associated with a giant spider’s web, meshing galaxies in place.

It distorts the appearance of space

We can also see the impact of dark matter simply by looking up at the sky. When astronomers observe distant galaxies, they often appear stretched and oddly shaped. This effect is known as ‘gravitational lensing, and it is caused by the gravitational force of dark matter. This force is so enormous that it physically bends the light around galaxies, distorting their appearance.

Its composition is not known

The majority of scientists believe that dark matter is some sort of exotic particle. We already know about electrons, photons, quarks, and many other particles, but there may be plenty of others waiting to be discovered. One or more of these unidentified particles could be responsible for effects – like gravitational lensing and the ‘spider’s web’ – that are associated with dark matter.

Dark matter might not even exist

Dark matter might be an undiscovered particle, or it might be nothing at all. Some scientists believe that the effects we associate with dark matter are actually caused by gravity. It is possible that our existing theory of gravity is flawed, and that the effects we attribute to dark matter could simply be a quirk of gravity that we don’t yet understand.

Dark matter may be elusive, mysterious, and complex, but scientists all over the world will continue the hunt and their findings will eventually transform our very notion of the cosmos.