We can’t see dark matter, but we can map it. And according to a recent series of preprint papers, we can map it pretty well.
It might seem a bit counterintuitive, but it’s true. Dark matter got its name because we aren’t able to see it. It doesn’t interact directly with electromagnetic radiation, so the detectors on our telescopes just can’t spot it. But it does interact with gravity, and by using gravity, we can spot where it’s hiding and, potentially, what influence it has on our universe.
To see the effects of the gravity generated by dark matter throughout the universe, cosmologists turned to another elusive area of interest—cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB). The CMB is radiation that permeates the universe, originating from just after the Big Bang.
We Just Mapped Out Dark Matter With Radiation From the Big Bang
It might seem a bit counterintuitive, but it’s true. Dark matter got its name because we aren’t able to see it. It doesn’t interact directly with electromagnetic radiation, so the detectors on our telescopes just can’t spot it. But it does interact with gravity, and by using gravity, we can spot where it’s hiding and, potentially, what influence it has on our universe.
To see the effects of the gravity generated by dark matter throughout the universe, cosmologists turned to another elusive area of interest—cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB). The CMB is radiation that permeates the universe, originating from just after the Big Bang.
We Just Mapped Out Dark Matter With Radiation From the Big Bang
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