Scientists think there’s something called dark matter hiding in space, kind of like a ghostly friend who’s always with you but you can’t see or touch them.
Imagine you’re playing hide and seek, and your friend is really good at hiding. You know they're there because you feel their presence, maybe they bump into you or move things around, but you can’t see them. That’s kind of like what dark matter does in the universe. It doesn’t shine or glow like stars or planets, so we can’t see it directly.
How do scientists know dark matter is there?
They look at how stars and galaxies move. It's like watching a game of tag, if you know how fast someone is running, you can guess where they are even if you can't see them clearly. Scientists use this same idea to figure out that something invisible must be pulling on the stars and galaxies, making them move in ways we can’t explain without dark matter.
What do scientists think dark matter is made of?
They’re not sure yet, but some think it might be tiny particles that pass right through everything, like trying to catch a whisper with your hands. These particles are everywhere, just hard to notice. Scientists think there’s something called dark matter hiding in space, kind of like a ghostly friend who’s always with you but you can’t see or touch them.
Imagine you’re playing hide and seek, and your friend is really good at hiding. You know they're there because you feel their presence, maybe they bump into you or move things around, but you can’t see them. That’s kind of like what dark matter does in the universe. It doesn’t shine or glow like stars or planets, so we can’t see it directly.
How do scientists know dark matter is there?
They look at how stars and galaxies move. It's like watching a game of tag, if you know how fast someone is running, you can guess where they are even if you can't see them clearly. Scientists use this same idea to figure out that something invisible must be pulling on the stars and galaxies, making them move in ways we can’t explain without dark matter.
What do scientists think dark matter is made of?
They’re not sure yet, but some think it might be tiny particles that pass right through everything, like trying to catch a whisper with your hands. These particles are everywhere, just hard to notice.
Examples
- A mysterious substance that scientists believe holds galaxies together, even though they can't see it.
- Imagine having a friend who's always with you, but you can't see them. That’s like dark matter around stars.
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See also
- What is Dark matter?
- What is Cold dark matter (CDM)?
- What Is Dark Matter, And Why Do We Care?
- What Is Dark Matter — And Why Does It Matter?
- What Is Dark Matter, and Why Do We Need It?