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โญ Stars & Galaxies

Dark Matter & Energy

The great mystery: 95% of the universe is invisible dark matter and dark energy that we cannot detect

Universe ๐ŸŒŒ 1933 Stars & Galaxies

Key Facts

  1. 1

    Ordinary matter (stars, planets, gas) = only 5% of the universe; dark matter = 27%; dark energy = 68%

  2. 2

    Dark matter: inferred from gravitational effects (galaxies spin too fast); never directly detected despite decades of searching

  3. 3

    Dark energy: discovered 1998 by Saul Perlmutter et al. (Nobel 2011); causes the universe's expansion to accelerate

๐ŸŒŒ Did you know? "The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible" โ€” Albert Einstein

Quick Reference

Category

Stars & Galaxies

Region

๐ŸŒŒ Universe

Year / Era

1933

About

The great mystery: 95% of the universe is invisible dark matter and dark energy that we cannot detect