Massive concentrations of dark matter warp the fabric of space-time. Light traveling from distant galaxies bends around this invisible mass on its way to Earth, creating visual distortions that allow scientists to map where the dark matter resides.
In the 1970s, astronomer Vera Rubin discovered that the outer edges of spiral galaxies rotate just as fast as the centers. According to standard physics, the outer edges should fly apart unless held together by a massive, unseen halo of matter. La materia oscura
Attempting to smash regular particles together at extreme energies in the Large Hadron Collider (CERN) to recreate the conditions of the early universe and manufacture dark matter in a lab. Massive concentrations of dark matter warp the fabric
Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter that does not emit, absorb, or reflect light. Because it does not interact with the electromagnetic spectrum, it is completely invisible to traditional telescopes. According to standard physics, the outer edges should
Scientists deduce the presence of dark matter by observing its immense gravitational pull on visible cosmic structures. Key lines of evidence include:
While many theories have been proposed, the exact identity of the dark matter particle remains undiscovered. The most prominent candidates include:
Extremely light, theoretical particles originally proposed to solve problems in quantum chromodynamics.