Why 95% of the Universe is Invisible | Dark Matter Explained
Dark matter, making up roughly 80% of the universe's mass, is a mysterious substance that doesn't emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it invisible and detectable only through its gravitational effects. The concept of dark matter arose from observations of spiral galaxies where stars at the edges orbit at similar speeds to those near the center, contradicting predictions from visible matter alone. Swiss astrophysicist Fritz Zwicky, in 1933, first suggested the presence of dark matter when he noticed that the visible mass of the Coma cluster galaxies was insufficient to account for their observed velocities.
Further evidence came from American astronomer Vera Rubin, whose studies of over sixty spiral galaxies consistently showed that galaxies must contain about ten times more mass than what is visible. This "dark mass" or "dark matter" binds galaxies together, explaining why they don't fly apart despite their rapid rotation. Unlike normal matter, dark matter does not interact with electromagnetic forces, which makes it extremely challenging to detect directly. Researchers have inferred its existence solely through its gravitational influence on visible matter.
Dark matter is a significant component of the universe, constituting about 26.8% of its total matter, while dark energy, which drives the universe's expansion, makes up 68.2%, leaving only 5% as visible matter. We can never see 95% of the Universe. Various particle candidates for dark matter, such as axions, WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles), and sterile neutrinos, have been proposed, but none have been conclusively detected. The Large Hadron Collider continues to be a key tool in the search for these elusive particles.
Dark Energy Explained - • Why Is DARK ENERGY So Strange? The BIGGEST...
00:00 Introduction
01:36 Fritz Zwicky’s Calculations
02:31 How do we calculate the mass of space bodies?
03:28 Galaxy Rotation Curve
05:43 Vera Rubin’s discovery
06:37 Composition of the Universe
07:27 Weak Interacting Massive particles (WIMPs)
Creative Director: Lakshay ( / mrtun121 )
Editor: Lakshay/Team 121 Creators (https://bit.ly/team121x)
Presenter: Sidhart Viyapu (https://bit.ly/sidvoice)
Script Writer: Ankit Dhar Dubey (http://bit.ly/ankitdhar)
Thumbnail: @asheeshit
Project Head: Rajkumar Shukla ( / rajkumarshukla )
Production: World Of Science Media