Dark Matter: The Invisible Force in the Universe
Category: Astronomy
Introduction: Dark matter is a mysterious substance that makes up about 85% of the mass in the universe. It's called dark because we can't see it directly.
Main Explanation:
Dark matter doesn't emit light or interact with normal matter in any way that we can detect. But we know it exists because we can see its effects on other objects in space. For example, dark matter causes galaxies to spin faster than they should if they were made up of visible matter alone. It also bends light from distant galaxies, creating a phenomenon known as gravitational lensing.
Scientists believe that dark matter is made up of particles that are much smaller than atoms. But they haven't been able to identify these particles yet. One possible explanation is that dark matter is made up of a type of particle called a WIMP (weakly interacting massive particle). WIMPs are thought to be very heavy and to interact with each other only through gravity.