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Document 2

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The Mysteries of Dark Matter and Dark Energy

Looking into the night sky, we see stars, galaxies, and planets and make only a small part
of the universe. What is more interesting, though, is what we can't see. About 95% of the
universe consists of two invisible forces: dark matter and dark energy-whose existence and
nature remain some of the greatest mysteries in modern astrophysics.

What is Dark Matter?

Dark matter is estimated to make up 27 percent of the universe. It does not reflect, absorb,
or emit any light, but its existence can be surmised from the gravitational pull that the dark
matter exerts over visible matter, including stars and galaxies. Without dark matter,
galaxies would lack the mass needed to hold themselves together; instead, they would fly
apart. Researchers predict that dark matter is composed of undetected particles, but after
numerous experiments, it has eluded direct observation.

What is Dark Energy?

The mystery is even greater, however, since dark energy constitutes 68% of the universe. It
was only in the late 1990s that it was actually found to make the universe expand at an
accelerating rate. In effect, it just turned our understanding of the cosmos on its head by
announcing that it's not only expanding but also accelerating in its expansion. Its nature is
still unknown, but many think that it may have to do with the energy of empty space, or a
"cosmological constant" as Einstein once proposed.

Why Is This Important?

Understanding dark matter and dark energy is important because this control how the
universe will end. Will the universe continue to expand into a cold, empty cosmos? Or
might there even be a "Big Rip," with dark energy tearing everything apart? In other words,
such mysteries actually challenge our understanding of the basic laws of physics and of
exactly what the universe is and should be.

More important, dark matter and dark energy form the secret to how the universe will be
structured and what its ultimate destiny is. Much is yet to be unraveled, but in solving
these mysteries, one may set himself at the forefront of modern science, promising a new
shape to our vision of reality.

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