dark matter: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Nov. 12, 2026

News •

The fastest levitated spinning magnet ever made might help physicists search for dark matter • Nov. 9, 2026, 12:30 PM ET (Phys.org)

'Stupendously large' primordial black holes ruled out as a dark matter source • Nov. 8, 2026, 9:40 AM ET (Phys.org)

'Stupendously large black holes' aren't a major component of dark matter, study finds • Oct. 23, 2026, 8:00 AM ET (Space)

Facts

Also Known As	hidden mass • missing mass • nonluminous matter

Photos and Videos

gravitational lens

galaxy cluster 1E0657-56

Two pie charts compare the universe's matter-energy content: 13.8 billion years ago, dark matter made up 63%, photons 15%, atoms 12%, and neutrinos 10%. Today, dark energy dominates at 69.4%, with dark matter at 26.1% and atoms at 4.5%.

Understand gravitational lenses and the importance of tracking the dark matter

Learn about dark matter and its gravitational effects

Hear about Fritz Zwicky and his discovery of the existence of dark matter

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Topics

What is dark matter?How will the Roman Space Telescope learn about dark energy and dark matter?outer space Universe matter time dark energy antimatter molecular beam physical constant mole quantum radiation Sun chemical bonding

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Astronomy: Dark matter

Key People

Vera Rubin

Vera Rubin

American astronomer

Freeman, Ken

Ken Freeman

Australian astronomer

Adam Riess

Adam Riess

American astronomer

Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.

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