Physicscalendar_todayLast updated: Apr 2026
What is Dark Matter?
/dɑːk ˈmætər/
A hypothetical type of matter that does not emit light or energy, yet accounts for approximately 85% of all matter in the universe based on its gravitational effects.
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Everyday Example
Imagine a room where you can't see the furniture, but you can tell something heavy is there because objects roll towards certain areas. Dark matter is the invisible furniture of the universe.
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“Galaxies rotate far faster at their outer edges than Newton's laws predict for visible mass. The accepted explanation is an invisible halo of dark matter surrounding each galaxy.”
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Did you know?
Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky first postulated dark matter in 1933. Vera Rubin confirmed it through galaxy rotation curves in the 1970s — yet its nature remains unknown.
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Key Insight
Everything you've ever seen, touched, or built is made of ordinary matter — less than 5% of the universe. Dark matter and dark energy make up the other 95%, and we don't know what either is.
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