Dark Matter

Dark matter is a form of matter that does not emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it invisible and undetectable by conventional means of observation, such as telescopes. It is thought to make up about 27% of the universe’s total mass-energy content. Dark matter is inferred from its gravitational effects on visible matter, radiation, and the large-scale structure of the universe. Its presence helps to explain phenomena such as the rotation rates of galaxies and the distribution of galaxy clusters, which cannot be accounted for by the amount of visible matter alone. Despite extensive research, the exact nature and composition of dark matter remain unknown, leading to various theories and candidates for what it might be, including Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) and axions.