La Materia Oscura File

Extremely light, theoretical particles originally proposed to solve problems in quantum chromodynamics.

The afterglow of the Big Bang contains fluctuations that perfectly match models requiring large amounts of cold dark matter to have seeded the formation of the early universe. 🔬 Leading Theories on Its Nature La materia oscura

Unknown; it is not made of the same protons, neutrons, and electrons (baryonic matter) that make up stars, planets, and human beings. Heavy, slow-moving particles that only interact via gravity

Heavy, slow-moving particles that only interact via gravity and the weak nuclear force. In the 1970s, astronomer Vera Rubin discovered that

Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter that does not emit, absorb, or reflect light. Because it does not interact with the electromagnetic spectrum, it is completely invisible to traditional telescopes.

In the 1970s, astronomer Vera Rubin discovered that the outer edges of spiral galaxies rotate just as fast as the centers. According to standard physics, the outer edges should fly apart unless held together by a massive, unseen halo of matter.