The Mystery of Dark Matter and Dark Energy

The universe is vast and far-reaching. It is filled to the brim with matter in the form of stars, planets, comets, asteroids, black holes, and so much more. However, scientists do not actually know what most of the universe is made out of.

For a long time, scientists have thought that the expansion of the universe has been slowing down over time due to gravity. In 1998, however, evidence to the contrary had come to light. The Hubble Space Telescope’s observations of supernovae millions of lightyears away demonstrated that the universe is expanding more quickly now than it did many years back. To add on to this idea, galaxies in the universe seem to be rotating with so much speed that the gravity generated by their matter would not be able hold them together. All of these galaxies should have been torn apart a long time ago. If all of this is true, what is missing?

These findings suggest that the universe contains much more mass and matter than we give it credit for. Scientists have deduced that there is a bunch of “missing” matter contained in these galaxies that they are unable to detect. They have named this concept of invisible and unknown matter “dark matter” and “dark energy.” 

Because of the mysteriousness of dark matter and dark energy, there is much we do not know about them. Dark matter does not absorb, reflect, or emit light, which is why it is so undetectable. The only reason why scientists are able to notice its effect is because of its gravitational pull. Dark matter has the tendency to pull matter inward, while dark energy pushes matter outward. Dark energy’s tendency to push matter outward is the reason why the expansion of our universe is accelerating, much to the bewilderment of scientists. Dark matter’s influence can be seen in every galaxy and cluster, while dark energy’s influence is only recognizable at the largest scale. 

All of the observable matter that we see only makes up 5% of the matter in the universe. This means that all of the matter in space that you read about in your science textbooks or see through your telescopes make up such a tiny portion of the universe. On the flipside, dark matter and energy make up 95% of the universe. There is a chance that you may have interacted with dark matter in your life.

Overall, dark matter and dark energy are very mysterious things that perplex almost all people. They work in the background and are the reason why you are standing on this planet today. There is much we don’t know about these substances, but as research continues, we will learn more and more about the impact they have on the universe and on our own lives. Studying dark matter and energy may be the key to unlocking the secrets of our universe.