
Dark matter makes up 85 percent of everything, but why? And how?
Scientists recently stumbled upon a huge knot of infant galaxies surrounded by dark matter, providing a glimpse of just how much dark matter there was not long after the big bang, as we recently reported. But what purpose does dark matter serve, and why is there so much of it? After all, scientists estimate it makes up a whopping 85 percent of all matter in the universe.
This recent study found that massive baby galaxies formed not long after the big bang were completely enveloped in dark matter, confirming scientists’ suspicions that dark matter creates a massive web in our universe, connecting galaxies across space-time. They made the observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter / submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope. It’s not easy to observe dark matter, as it only interacts gravitationally with visible matter, so it was quite the coup for scientists to be able to come to these conclusions.
So why is there so much dark matter in our universe? Dark matter neither emits nor absorbs light, and doesn’t interact with visible matter, making it extremely tough for us to observe, and we can only do so indirectly. It’s helped scientists understand the difference between observed and estimated mass of galaxies.
The reality is we just don’t know why there is so much dark matter. One theory is that it is simply a property of space, as Albert Einstein observed that space isn’t nothing, but has unique properties that impact our universe. Einstein also predicted the empty space could possess its own energy, which means that space is most definitely something, and a very important something.
But the reality is no one has a good explanation. So far, it’s just beyond our understanding, although scientists are working hard to crack the mystery. Understanding dark matter could help us understand our universe more than any other discovery.
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