The first image of the dark matter network, which connects galaxies together

This image has taken us beyond anticipation, dark matter has now become something visible and measurable.

The universe, you can imagine, is a giant black shadow with billions of galaxies, each containing billions of different stars.

Even more bizarre, the universe is formed by separate galaxies connected together through giant networks of galaxies forming networks, which are made up of invisible fibers of dark matter . And if you find it hard to imagine them now, by cleverly using gravitational lenses, scientists have shown us some of the first images of this kind of matter.

A team of astronomers at the University of Waterloo in Canada used the space-bending effect of dark matter to be able to see seemingly invisible things. By combining groups of galaxies that act as lenses with light data records behind them to create images of dark matter.

Dark energy and dark matter are two different things.

Perhaps it should be said about dark matter: using some kind of telescope, which you can directly see is only about 5% in the observed universe. The next 68% (if it exists) is a type of energy that tends to speed up the expansion of the universe. Also because knowledge of this type of force is so small it is known as "dark energy".

Dark energy and dark matter are two different things. Dark matter accounts for about 27% of the observed universe, and like dark energy, we can see its effects but have little understanding of what caused these effects.

That effect is basically gravity. But most matter whose mass will emit or absorb electromagnetic radiation, or at least interact with nuclear force, dark matter sits silently, creating something that surrounds the universe but doesn't reacting to anything.

So far, we have known that ordinary matter and dark matter tend to combine to form a unified body (galaxies and stars), with the more common dark matter forming. "halo" around stars, dust clouds.

We also know that, in some places in the vast universe, dark matter is not the majority. At this point, they look like wires pulling a part of the universe into networks due to the expansion of the universe. That means galaxies tend to stabilize along these channels, forming super-galaxies linked together.

Knowing dark matter between galaxies in the universe is one thing, being able to see dark matter is another.

In some places in the vast universe, dark matter is not the majority.

"For decades, researchers have predicted the existence of dark matter between galaxies like a superstructure network connecting galaxies together," said researcher Mike Hudson. "This image has taken us beyond anticipation, dark matter has now become something visible and measurable."

When the light of a star passes through a mass, such as a galaxy, light becomes a curve and indents create a curving effect of gravity . By combining images of 23,000 galaxy pairs about 4.5 billion light-years away, astronomers were able to use small differences to create a relatively detailed map of bridges. created by dark matter connecting galaxies.

"By this technique, we can not only see dark matter fibers in the universe, but also see the scale of dark matter fibers connecting the galaxies together , " Epps said.

The discovery provides a clearer view of the present universe, and can help scientists know the shape of this mysterious material or tell us more about how the universe has been how to develop