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Dark MatterDark matter is a type of matter that does not reflect or emit light, making its direct observation impossible. Like visible matter, it has mass and takes up space, allowing it to interact with its surroundings via gravity. Through these interactions, astronomers have inferred the existence of dark matter, which is more than five times more common than visible matter and is believed to have facilitated the formation of galaxies and other large-scale structures in the universe. In 1933, Fritz Zwicky's analysis of galaxies in the Coma Cluster revealed that they moved faster than expected given the gravitational pull from the visible galaxies alone. He theorized the presence of invisible mass—"dunkle Materie"—to enable this motion, but miscalculated how much. By the 1970s, Vera Rubin and Kent Ford's more precise observations showed that stars in their galaxies orbited their centers faster than expected. To account for this, they suggested galaxies reside in massive clouds of unseen material that contribute to their mass and gravity. Subsequent observations, including light bending around galaxies and galaxy clusters, have strengthened the case for these clouds—dark matter halos—and ruled out models that claim the universe has no dark matter. As of 2026, scientists do not know what dark matter is made of, but candidates include primordial black holes and new types of particles.Explore Dark Matter

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RNA is key to the dark matter of the genome − scientists are sequencing it to illuminate human health and disease The Conversation New model replaces the Milky Way's central black hole with dark matterA study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society states that a dense core of fermionic dark matter, rather than a supermassive black hole, could explain both the rapid orbits of stars near the Milky Way's center and the galaxy's large-scale rotation detected in Gaia mission data. Phys.org Mars' orbit may provide evidence that dark matter is made of primordial black holesPhysicists at MIT have found that, statistically, one such microscopic black hole should pass through the solar system every decade, which they predict would introduce a detectable wobble in Mars' orbit. Such black holes would have formed in the early universe from collapsing gas clouds and scattered as the universe expanded. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Modified Newtonian dynamics revises gravity to eliminate the need for dark matterRather than imagining that an undiscovered particle is responsible for discrepancies in the orbits of stars and galaxies, MOND suggests that the mathematics underlying Newton's laws of gravity and force change beyond a certain scale. However, the suggested revisions struggle to explain relativistic effects involving gravity, including gravitational lensing and gravitational waves. Space.com One study suggests that dark matter may have originated from a dark Big BangA student-faculty team at Colgate University modeled the event as occurring months after the conventional Big Bang and determined the potential gravitational wave signal that would have been left behind. Future gravitational wave detectors are expected to be sensitive enough to observe this signal, if it exists. Colgate University Our solar system is currently traveling through a dark matter hurricaneThe phenomenon refers to a stream of cosmic debris, including stars and dark matter, leftover from a small galaxy that passed too close to the Milky Way and was torn apart. There are over 30 such streams known in our galaxy, and the stream intersecting the solar system is predicted to continue to do so for millions of years. Astronomy Magazine It may be possible to create dark matter in particle acceleratorsIn high-energy collisions, exotic forms of matter can be produced by directly converting energy into mass according to *E = mc*². Even though a dark matter particle would not be directly observable, its creation would result in unaccounted-for mass, which can be compared to potential dark matter candidates for indirect detection. TED-Ed A cup of coffee on Earth contains about 100 proton masses worth of dark matterThe estimate is based on Earth's location within the Milky Way and the dark matter cloud it resides in. Because scientists do not know the nature of dark matter, the mass may be accounted for with any number of dark matter particles of varying mass. Ologies with Alie Ward Astronomical models suggest dark matter must be 'cold,' or slow-movingTheories for what constitutes dark matter have ranged from slow, planet-sized objects to light subatomic particles that travel at high speeds. However, fast-moving candidates would quickly spread across the universe, preventing the gradual gathering of visible matter into the galaxies and galaxy clusters seen today through gravity. Symmetry Magazine View a simulation of the dark matter filaments that make up the cosmic webThe distribution of matter in the universe is not uniform, with interconnected threads of galaxy clusters surrounded by voids of empty space. Simulations of the universe show this is only possible within 13.8 billion years—the universe's age—if a foundational network of seeds—dark matter halos—were present to gravitationally attract visible matter. European Southern Observatory The European Space Agency's Euclid telescope maps dark matterAs light rays travel near massive objects in space, their paths can be distorted on their way to Earth, causing objects to appear displaced, magnified, shrunken, or sheared. By simulating these effects for various mass distributions, astronomers can match the distortion to a simulated mass and compare it with the observed visible matter to infer the presence of dark matter. ESA Space Science Hub Fritz Zwicky predicted the existence of dark matter and neutron starsThe former resulted from analyzing the motion of galaxies in the Coma Cluster, a subset of the approximately 30,000 galaxies he catalogued during his life. When hypothesizing an origin for observed high-energy particles called cosmic rays, Zwicky thought they could come from exploding stars, or supernovae—a term he coined—which would leave behind a collapsed star made entirely of neutrons. American Museum of Natural History Weak force interactions lack of interaction with light complicates dark matter detectionDespite making up the vast majority of matter in the universe, dark matter can only be directed indirectly via its influence on other objects through gravity, the weakest of the fundamental forces. This means direct detection of dark matter may only be possible with future, more sensitive instruments. The Conversation The structure of the Bullet Cluster cannot be explained without dark matterIn gravitational lensing, mass bends spacetime, deflecting passing light rays. Instead of this deflection being strongest near the gas within galaxies, where visible matter is densest, lensing is strongest in front of the collided galaxies. This suggests the presence of clumps of dark matter that were not slowed by friction during impact. Big Think Simulate the distribution of dark matter within a galaxyBy modifying the dark matter density at different distances from the center of a simulated galaxy, you can plot the resulting orbital speed of stars. Preset data enables you to replicate astrophysicists' work in determining the dark matter concentration that best fits observed structures. Foothill College Dark matter may be one of many hidden particles that don't interact with lightTheoretical candidates, such as sterile neutrinos, axions, and supersymmetric WIMPs, may open the door to a new branch of particle physics that shapes the cosmos through gravity. Some of these particles may constantly pass through us but interact too weakly to be detected. PBS Space Time Dark matter detected in the cosmic webResearchers from Yonsei University detected dark matter on the cosmic web, a network of filaments that feed gas into galaxies. The detection was made possible by using the general theory of relativity to analyze gravitational microlensing around the Coma Cluster. This article explains the phenomenon and how the detection supports the presence of dark matter throughout the cosmic web. Space.com Vera Rubin's research into galaxy rotation curves led to the discovery of dark matterShe discovered that stars on the outer edges of galaxies were orbiting much faster than expected based on visible matter alone, implying the presence of unseen mass exerting gravitational force. Without dark matter, the outer stars in galaxies would fly off into space instead of staying in orbit. Space Mog Despite the discovery of dark matter, Vera Rubin never won a Nobel PrizeIn the 1970s, Rubin and collaborator Kent Ford revealed that galaxies rotate in a way only explainable by vast amounts of unseen mass, now known as dark matter. The transformative discovery did not warrant a Nobel Prize, which was only awarded to two women in physics from 1901 to 2017. Astronomy Magazine Axions, a hypothetical subatomic particle, are a leading dark matter candidateAmong the possibilities for what makes up dark matter, some physicists champion axions, which could clump into galaxy-scale quantum states. These states would act as massive, unified superparticles that could explain the observational evidence for the universe's missing matter. TED Dark matter makes up about 85% of the matter in the universeAstronomers discovered that galaxies rotate in ways that visible matter alone cannot explain, pointing to the existence of unseen matter. According to current models, the universe has not been around long enough for gravity to have formed galaxies and other large-scale structures unless dark matter were present in quantities five to six times greater than visible matter. Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics Dark matter and dark energy make up 95% of the universeDark matter holds galaxies and other large-scale structures together through gravity, and dark energy drives the universe's accelerating expansion. While scientists do not know what either is made of, they see how these dark components affect the normal matter in the universe. European Space Agency Dark matter's invisible pull shapes galaxies and our understanding of the cosmosThough it makes up about 25% of the universe, dark matter can't be seen directly; its existence is inferred through its gravitational effects, like the unexpectedly fast rotation of galaxies. The concept began in 1933 but gained wide acceptance after Vera Rubin's galaxy rotation studies in the 1970s. 1440 Dark matter and dark energy, explainedWhat is dark energy? What is dark matter? Well, if we knew exactly, we would have a Nobel prize—we know that they exist, though. Scientists have theorized that the former may be a property of three-dimensional space itself, while the latter could be exotic particles that interact with almost nothing. This video from Kurzgesagt explains what we know and what we don't. YouTube View the winners of the 2025 Global Physics Photowalk contestParticipants were asked to submit entries showcasing particle physics labs from around the world, including particle accelerators, neutrino detectors, and superconducting experiments. The winning photograph was taken at the CryOgenic Laboratory for Detectors, where scientists hunt for dark matter after cooling materials to a few thousandths of a degree above absolute zero. Quanta Magazine Technical vulnerabilities prevent full-proof anonymity when browsing the dark webDespite encrypting data and relaying it within the Tor network, traffic between the network exit and the final destination is no longer hidden and can be captured. Law enforcement agencies can also attempt to deanonymize users by monitoring and matching data signal patterns entering and leaving the network via a correlation algorithm. Techofide As of 2025, an estimated $3.2B in annual revenue flows through dark web platformsThe untraceable cryptocurrency Monero is used in about 60% of transactions across more than 37 active marketplaces that sell copyrighted materials, private information, and phishing kits—tools that help bad actors more easily create fake sites to steal users' data—for financial fraud. SQ Magazine As of 2025, the best cosmological model of the universe includes dark energyThe Lambda cold dark matter model uses the Greek letter to denote the presence of a cosmological constant version of dark energy, alongside slow-moving dark matter and ordinary visible matter. It can account for the observed distribution of galaxies, the structure of the cosmic microwave background, the acceleration of the universe, and the abundance of hydrogen. Astrobites Oscillating matter in the early universe left behind patterns detailing cosmic expansionAs gravity tried to bring matter closer together in the early universe, its high temperature produced an outward pressure that caused it to expand. These competing forces caused matter to vibrate and produce the equivalent of sound waves, which spread outward as the universe expanded and cooled, serving as relics of dark energy's history. NASA Goddard Under the Big Rip scenario, dark energy becomes strong enough to tear atoms apartIf the density of dark energy, which produces a repulsive effect through the expansion of space, increases with time, then all structures of matter, including galaxies, stars, planets, and atoms, will be pulled apart once the strength of dark energy surpasses the magnitude of the forces holding those structures together, including the gravitational and electromagnetic forces. Space.com Dark energy dominance represents the final era of the universeAs the universe expanded after the Big Bang, matter and energy diluted at different rates, with light once the most dense substance in the cosmos, followed by a period when matter was the most dense component. About five billion years ago, the density of dark energy was higher than that of both light and matter, which will continue to dilute. Big Think Cloud 9 is a dark-matter-dominated failed galaxyIdentified in 2023, the starless, gas-rich object is the first of its kind seen by astronomers and provides a window into the early stages of galactic formation without observations relying on visible matter as a proxy. The existence of such REHLICs, or Reionization-Limited-H I Clouds, was predicted by cold dark matter cosmological models. Short Wave Dark stars are hypothetical stars that would have existed in the early universePrimarily composed of visible matter, this celestial object would also contain a significant amount of dark matter that would annihilate with itself, converting its mass into energy. This energy would prevent the star from collapsing under its own gravity and from triggering nuclear fusion until its dark matter fuel was exhausted. Harvard University Olympians view sleep as a performance tool, prioritizing routine and environmentElite athletes emphasize consistent sleep routines, dark and cool environments, the well-placed nap, and tools like eye masks, white noise machines, and supplements like melatonin (particularly for jet lag). This priority belies a core principle: recovery and performance are inseparable. Read more ways Olympians "sleepmaxx" here. Bustle Gaia mapped two billion stars in the Milky WayUsing geometric parallax, the European Space Agency mission made position measurements accurate to 2.78 × 10⁻¹⁰ degrees, revealing large-scale galactic structure and dynamics. Remnants of ancient galactic mergers were also identified within the Milky Way. Astronomy Magazine Dark comets appear to be rocky asteroids but move like cometsCometary orbits are known to exhibit accelerations independent of gravity that result from forces related to the release of gases. Dark comets exhibit this behavior but lack visible clouds of frozen material that have turned into a gas—the coma the comets display—indicating minor quantities of escaping subsurface ice. University of Michigan The body's master clock has 20,000 neuronsThe suprachiasmatic nucleus, the master clock in mammals, has 20,000 neurons that help maintain the light-dark cycle in the body. Among its jobs: It receives light input information from the retina and then signals peripheral body clocks to act on this information, driving everything from body temperature to hunger. News Medical The heat death of the universe will mark the perceptive end of timeUnder this scenario, all matter and energy will be scattered as far out as possible, with no stars left to produce measurable light between objects. With no way of observing changes or increasing the disorder of the universe further, events could not be distinguished from one another, and time would lose meaning. BBC Volcanoes in the 1340s likely helped trigger the Black DeathThe "bubonic plague" that wiped out roughly half of Europe and Asia originated from many factors. Recent research suggests volcanic eruptions contributed as well. The "aerosol" effects of matter released from eruptions likely prompted famine and accelerated the spread of infected fleas riding on grains avoiding spoilage. Popular Science 'Rear Window' was based on a short story by Cornell WoolrichHitchcock's 1954 film, which many consider among the director's greatest, was based on Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder." The story is characteristic of his dark, claustrophobic work. CrimeReads The observable universe has a mass of 100 sexdecillion kilogramsThe amount of visible matter in the universe is most accurately determined by measuring the cosmic microwave background. Quantities of dark matter and dark energy are calculated through the observed bending of light around galaxies and the expansion of the universe, respectively. Astronomy Magazine Some materials can absorb low-energy light and emit high-energy radiationThrough anti-Stokes cooling, incoming energy is combined with vibrations in a material's crystal lattice to produce a net reduction in its temperature. Using this effect, lasers can be directed at microchip hot spots to help keep data centers cool. IEEE Spectrum Optical clocks track time by measuring electron transitions involving visible lightThe frequency of visible light is significantly greater than that of microwaves used in cesium atomic clocks. This makes optical clocks about 100 times more accurate, losing at most one second across the entire age of the universe. NIST Explore an interactive map of the unified theories of everythingThe map concisely describes many highly complex theories, from those involving quantum gravity and black holes to dark matter and energy. Supplementary resources, key questions, and possible solutions accompany each description. Quanta Magazine The Standard Model reveals an underlying organization to the universeUsing the framework of quantum field theory, it structures all known particles into 12 matter particles, alongside five particles that carry three of the four fundamental forces. Although remarkably precise and predictive, it cannot yet explain gravity, dark matter, or dark energy. Quanta Magazine Quantum field theory reveals that particles are ripples in universal fieldsInstead of being made of indivisible particles, all visible matter in the universe is built from underlying quantum fields—smooth, invisible entities that behave like waves. The theory suggests these fields are fundamental, and particles are disturbances that move through them. The Joy of Why A facility at CERN is dedicated to creating and analyzing anti-hydrogenDubbed the "antimatter factory," the site was built to study the properties of dark matter and identify any inconsistencies with existing particle physics models. Antimatter particles have the same mass as normal matter, but opposite charge and other quantum properties. BBC News In 1924, elephants from the Central Park Zoo marched in Macy's inaugural paradeEnormous balloons didn’t make an appearance until 1927, and the parade wasn’t televised until 1948. But no matter the decade, a visit from Santa Claus has always been a highlight. Business Insider Mapping the universe's 1.3 million quasars Quasars form the core of active galaxies where supermassive black holes devour unimaginable amounts of matter. You can see a map of all 1.3 million of these objects with this 3D map. It was assembled with data from the Gaia spacecraft and shows how the spread of dark matter across space matches that described by the Cosmic Microwave Background. Space.com The theory of axiogenesis may explain the matter-antimatter asymmetry in our universeAxiogenesis suggests that a theoretical particle field that evolved after the Big Bang may have spun like a marble around a wobbly “Mexican hat” energy landscape, producing excess matter over antimatter. This theoretical particle—the axion—may also make up dark matter, solving an additional mystery in astronomy. Quanta Magazine

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