Astronomers have never detected dark matter, but they believe it makes up about 85% of the total matter in the universe.
Meanwhile, the existence of dark energy helps researchers explain why the universe is expanding — and why that expansion is speeding up.
A prime example is the European Space Agency’s wide-angle Euclid telescope that launched in 2023 to investigate the riddles of dark energy and dark matter.
Euclid this week delivered the first piece of a cosmic map — containing about 100 million stars and galaxies — that will take six years to create.
These stunning 3D observations may help scientists see how dark matter warps light and curves space across galaxies.
Persons:
Jackie Wattles, I’m, Vera C, Sarah Gillis, John Kraus, Chenyang Cai, Everest, NASA hasn’t, gazers, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt
Organizations:
CNN, ESA, US National Science Foundation, Stanford University, Rubin, SpaceX, SpaceX Polaris, Polaris, NASA, Boeing, CNN Space, Science
Locations:
Chile, Uzbekistan, Norway, Myanmar, Florida