Dark Matter
![A deep-field image of space with dark matter highlighted in blue](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ESs2JdWQpBAZggcUV4oJMK-320-80.jpg)
Dark matter makes up most of the matter in the universe, but scientists still have much to learn about this mysterious material. At Live Science, we follow the monumental research seeking answers to some of the biggest unanswered questions about dark matter.
Whether it’s a mysterious "kick" just after the Big Bang that may have created dark matter, how scientists narrowed down the 'weight' of dark matter trillions of trillions of times, or the potential for dark matter's secret identity to be hiding in distorted "Einstein rings," our expert writers and editors shine a light on dark matter with the latest news, fascinating features and interesting articles on this mysterious subject.
Latest about Dark Matter
![Euclid's view of the horsehead nebula, showing purple swirls of gas on a starry background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YTkrDxetxY8swCtWfy9ADN-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YTkrDxetxY8swCtWfy9ADN-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YTkrDxetxY8swCtWfy9ADN-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YTkrDxetxY8swCtWfy9ADN-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YTkrDxetxY8swCtWfy9ADN-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YTkrDxetxY8swCtWfy9ADN-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YTkrDxetxY8swCtWfy9ADN-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YTkrDxetxY8swCtWfy9ADN-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
1st images from the Euclid 'dark universe' telescope are here — and they're jaw-dropping
By Robert Lea published
The first images from ESA's dark universe detective Euclid are out, featuring spectacular views of nebulas, distant galaxies and globular clusters of thousands of stars.
![An image from Euclid shows the loops and swirls that resulted when the spacecraft's Fine Guidance Sensor intermittently lost its guide stars.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZPpmYrquFrWRPYcWkjCYeD-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZPpmYrquFrWRPYcWkjCYeD-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZPpmYrquFrWRPYcWkjCYeD-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZPpmYrquFrWRPYcWkjCYeD-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZPpmYrquFrWRPYcWkjCYeD-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZPpmYrquFrWRPYcWkjCYeD-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZPpmYrquFrWRPYcWkjCYeD-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZPpmYrquFrWRPYcWkjCYeD-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
ESA scientists finally resolve glitch that caused Euclid spacecraft to 'doodle' through space
By Robert Lea published
The European Space Agency's dark energy and dark matter spacecraft has once again found its guiding stars and is preparing for full "science mode."
![An illustration of the Milky Way on a black background, with the galaxy's edges drooping down on one side and lifting up on the other](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jeCvJQxQxia7pzvMojLrWg-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jeCvJQxQxia7pzvMojLrWg-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jeCvJQxQxia7pzvMojLrWg-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jeCvJQxQxia7pzvMojLrWg-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jeCvJQxQxia7pzvMojLrWg-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jeCvJQxQxia7pzvMojLrWg-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jeCvJQxQxia7pzvMojLrWg-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jeCvJQxQxia7pzvMojLrWg-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
Our entire galaxy is warping, and a gigantic blob of dark matter could be to blame
By Ben Turner published
An invisible halo of misaligned dark matter could explain the warps at the Milky Way's edges.
![Scientists think that dark matter produces a bright and spherical halo of X-ray emission around the center of the Milky Way.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bKtA4kmu2PUZ4rtwtd8Qfh-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bKtA4kmu2PUZ4rtwtd8Qfh-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bKtA4kmu2PUZ4rtwtd8Qfh-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bKtA4kmu2PUZ4rtwtd8Qfh-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bKtA4kmu2PUZ4rtwtd8Qfh-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bKtA4kmu2PUZ4rtwtd8Qfh-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bKtA4kmu2PUZ4rtwtd8Qfh-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bKtA4kmu2PUZ4rtwtd8Qfh-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
Astronomers measure dark matter 'haloes' around hundreds of ancient black holes for 1st time
By Robert Lea published
Studying the mysterious form of matter around ancient quasar galaxies could have profound implications for our understanding of how the cosmos evolved.
![(Left) Atomic clocks in use at the NPL. (Right) the bullet cluster, a collision between two galaxies with a morphology that indicates the presence of dark matter](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LvmGspc7TCNuJYNwaFBQhF-320-80.png 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LvmGspc7TCNuJYNwaFBQhF-450-80.png 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LvmGspc7TCNuJYNwaFBQhF-500-80.png 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LvmGspc7TCNuJYNwaFBQhF-650-80.png 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LvmGspc7TCNuJYNwaFBQhF-840-80.png 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LvmGspc7TCNuJYNwaFBQhF-970-80.png 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LvmGspc7TCNuJYNwaFBQhF-1024-80.png 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LvmGspc7TCNuJYNwaFBQhF-1200-80.png 1200w)
Unknown ultra-light particles linked to dark matter could be found using atomic clocks
By Robert Lea published
The use of atomic clocks could help bring cosmology and astrophysics "down to Earth" by allowing scientists to investigate the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter in the lab.
![Two rivers of hot gas are siphoned onto the surface of a neutron star (the collapsed remains of a dead star) in this illustration.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XiUK6WcXF7FLKuRpGuthMc-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XiUK6WcXF7FLKuRpGuthMc-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XiUK6WcXF7FLKuRpGuthMc-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XiUK6WcXF7FLKuRpGuthMc-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XiUK6WcXF7FLKuRpGuthMc-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XiUK6WcXF7FLKuRpGuthMc-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XiUK6WcXF7FLKuRpGuthMc-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XiUK6WcXF7FLKuRpGuthMc-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
Dark matter could be building up inside dead stars — with potentially explosive consequences
By Paul Sutter published
Invisible dark matter may be gathering in the ultra-dense innards of neutron stars, potentially causing them to detonate in massive explosions.
![A wispy red bubble of matter on a dense background of stars. A Hubble image of a supernova.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YjtyEHJm4t4XmamfjXoqhH-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YjtyEHJm4t4XmamfjXoqhH-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YjtyEHJm4t4XmamfjXoqhH-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YjtyEHJm4t4XmamfjXoqhH-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YjtyEHJm4t4XmamfjXoqhH-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YjtyEHJm4t4XmamfjXoqhH-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YjtyEHJm4t4XmamfjXoqhH-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YjtyEHJm4t4XmamfjXoqhH-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
Invisible supernovas called 'bosenovas' may be exploding all around us, new research suggests
By Paul Sutter published
What happens when an invisible star dies? It erupts in an invisible explosion, of course. New research describes how these unseen 'bosenovas' may behave.
![A galaxy with an exceptionally bright, stretched-out disk of light around it](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AzMWgF4VSz9sVfT9dCuPTG-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AzMWgF4VSz9sVfT9dCuPTG-450-80.jpg 450w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AzMWgF4VSz9sVfT9dCuPTG-500-80.jpg 500w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AzMWgF4VSz9sVfT9dCuPTG-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AzMWgF4VSz9sVfT9dCuPTG-840-80.jpg 840w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AzMWgF4VSz9sVfT9dCuPTG-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AzMWgF4VSz9sVfT9dCuPTG-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AzMWgF4VSz9sVfT9dCuPTG-1200-80.jpg 1200w)
Bizarre 'relic galaxy' is missing a key component of the universe, and scientists are stumped
By Robert Lea published
A massive galaxy far from Earth seems to be entirely devoid of dark matter, contrary to all accepted cosmological models.
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