Dark Matter
Latest about Dark Matter
![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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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.
![Three objects seen by the JWST in December 2022 and identified as galaxies may actually be huge stars powered by dark matter](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/j6Jb2RjZCbKbWMrbtCsNKc-320-80.png)
James Webb telescope reveals 3 possible 'dark stars' — galaxy-sized objects powered by invisible dark matter
By Robert Lea published
Three early galaxies discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope could actually be titanic stars powered by a dark matter heart.
![8 Einstein rings in a grid](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Mj4M7uVLH5ynSSLePqp6WE-320-80.jpg)
Dark matter's secret identity could be hiding in distorted 'Einstein rings'
By Harry Baker published
Researchers may be a step closer to identifying dark matter after studying unusual cases of gravitational lensing caused by "dark matter halos" surrounding distant galaxies.
Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.