What could dark matter be?
The label “dark matter” encapsulates our ignorance regarding the nature of most of the matter in the universe. It could be made of weakly interacting massive particles; hypothetical particles like axions; or even dark atoms that do not interact with ordinary matter or light.
What is dark matter simple?
Dark matter is composed of particles that do not absorb, reflect, or emit light, so they cannot be detected by observing electromagnetic radiation. Dark matter is material that cannot be seen directly.
What is the blackness of space?
Because space is a near-perfect vacuum — meaning it has exceedingly few particles — there’s virtually nothing in the space between stars and planets to scatter light to our eyes. And with no light reaching the eyes, they see black.
Does dark matter hold the universe together?
Roughly 80% of the mass of the universe is made up of material that scientists cannot directly observe. Known as dark matter, this bizarre ingredient does not emit light or energy. To hold the elements of the universe together, dark matter must make up approximately 80% percent of the universe.
How does dark matter act like a particle?
First, dark matter seems to act like particles, based on the way it collects and behaves under the influence of gravity. Also, dark matter is “cold”, meaning that it doesn’t move very rapidly; dark matter that is too warm will resist clumping together as much as we observe.
Is it true that dark matter does not exist?
And while dark matter has become the prevailing theory to explain one of the bigger mysteries of the universe, some scientists have looked for alternative explanations for why galaxies act the way they do. Now, an international team of scientists says it has found new evidence that perhaps dark matter doesn’t really exist after all.
Why does light from distant stars look like dark matter?
When light from distant stars passes through a galaxy or cluster, the gravity of the matter present in the galaxy or cluster causes the light to bend. As a result, the light looks like it is coming from somewhere else rather than from its actual origin. The amount of bending helps scientists learn about the dark matter present.
What was the evidence for dark matter in the 1980s?
A stream of observations in the 1980s supported the presence of dark matter, including gravitational lensing of background objects by galaxy clusters, the temperature distribution of hot gas in galaxies and clusters, and the pattern of anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background.