Dark matter is one of the most profound mysteries in modern physics. We cannot see it, touch it, or detect it with any instrument yet devised — yet we know it exists because of its gravitational effects on the matter we can see. Galaxies rotate at speeds that would tear them apart if only their visible stars contributed to their gravity. Dark matter comprises approximately 27% of the total energy content of the universe, yet its fundamental nature remains completely unknown.
Breaking Down the Universe's Greatest Mysteries
Even stranger is dark energy. Discovered in 1998 when astronomers found that distant supernovae were dimmer than expected, dark energy represents approximately 68% of everything that exists. It acts as a kind of anti-gravity, a repulsive force built into the fabric of spacetime itself, pushing galaxies apart at ever-increasing speeds. Combined, dark matter and dark energy account for roughly 95% of the universe — everything we have ever seen makes up just 5%.
Black holes represent regions of spacetime so warped by concentrated mass that not even light can escape once it crosses the event horizon. The largest known black holes contain billions of solar masses compressed into a region smaller than our solar system. At the singularity at their centres, our current theories of physics break down completely. Black holes are the universe's reminder that for every question we answer, it holds a deeper one in reserve.
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