What is Dark Matter?

Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter that is thought to make up a large portion of the universe. It is called "dark" because it does not interact with light or any other form of electromagnetic radiation, making it invisible to telescopes and other instruments that detect electromagnetic radiation.

Despite being invisible, the existence of dark matter is inferred from its gravitational effects on visible matter, such as galaxies and galaxy clusters. Scientists believe that dark matter accounts for about 85% of the total mass of the universe, while the remaining 15% is made up of "normal" matter, such as the atoms that make up planets, stars, and galaxies.

The nature of dark matter is currently unknown and is one of the biggest mysteries in modern physics. Scientists have proposed a number of theories to explain the properties of dark matter, but so far, none of these theories have been proven conclusively.

One possibility is that dark matter is made up of exotic particles that do not interact with normal matter in the same way that atoms do. These particles could be a type of elementary particle that is not described by the Standard Model of particle physics, the current theory that explains the behavior of subatomic particles.

Another possibility is that dark matter is made up of "black holes," or collapsed stars with such high densities that not even light can escape their gravitational pull. However, this theory is still highly speculative and has not been proven.

Despite the lack of concrete evidence, many scientists believe that the existence of dark matter is necessary to explain the observed behavior of the universe. Further research into the properties of dark matter could provide important insights into the fundamental nature of the universe and help us better understand the way it works.