How did the universe form? This is one of the most pressing questions in the scientific community. Despite technological advances, the nature of our existence remains a mystery.
Researchers are now saying that normal matter makes up only 4% of the universe, whereas the other 96% may be dark matter and dark energy (Agency 2022). Dark matter is widely regarded as a “cosmic glue” that holds the universe together. This can be attributed to the fact that although dark matter does not directly interact with light, its gravity can bend light dark matter does not interact with light, but its gravity can bend light (Betz 2020). Though dark matter particles cannot be physically seen, its gravitational effect can be observed. After the Big Bang, the same amounts of hydrogen, photons and dark matter were present (Rubinobservatory.Org, n.d.). However, small clumps of matter existed and began to grow in size. They gained new effects, such as being able to turn gas into stars and form new galaxies. These can be referred to as “halos” (Rubinobservatory.Org, n.d.). The gravity of dark matter then began to pull in normal matter, allowing galaxies and stars to form (ScienceDaily 2026). Thus, dark matter played a foundational role in shaping structures that allowed for planetary systems to form.
One galaxy cluster that provides strong evidence for the existence of dark matter is the Bullet Cluster (Figure 1). This cluster resulted from the collision of two previously separated clusters(NASA 2006). An X-Ray showed that hot gas from one cluster passed through the hot gas of the other cluster during their collision. Further imaging showed that most of the mass is separated from normal matter, shown in pink. The concentration of mass determined is a result of gravitational lensing. Scientists believe that during the collision of the two clumps, dark matter strayed away from the hot gas, causing the separation between normal and dark matter (NASA 2006).
Figure 1: This image represents the Bullet Cluster galaxy, where there is separation of dark and normal matter(NASA 2006).
While dark matter can help explain galaxy formation, dark energy remains more mysterious. The definition of dark energy is still unclear, but scientists label it as something that causes the universe to expand at a faster rate (Kazmierczak 2025). It does this by exerting negative pressure and pushing space outwards. One possible explanation for dark energy is vacuum energy, which is said to exist throughout space. According to quantum field theory, space is not exactly devoid of energy and that there exist virtual particles, which consist of pairs of particles and antiparticles. These particles are said to pop in and out of existence, an attribute deemed to be possible by dark energy (Kazmierczak 2025). However, there is a discrepancy in the calculation of the amount of vacuum energy, illustrating that there is a crucial piece missing in this puzzle.
Ultimately, the 96% of “invisible” matter that shapes our universe dictates everything we see and experience. As astronomical technology advances, scientists will gain tools to better understand these invisible components and, in turn, reveal how the universe came to be.
References
Agency, Canadian Space. 2022. “The Mysteries of Dark Matter and Dark Energy.” Canadian Space Agency, September 28. https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronomy/beyond-our-solar-system/dark-matter-and-dark-energy.asp.
Betz, Eric. 2020. “What’s the Difference Between Dark Matter and Dark Energy?” Astronomy Magazine, March 3. https://www.astronomy.com/science/whats-the-difference-between-dark-matter-and-dark-energy/.
Kazmierczak, Jeanette. 2025. “What Is Dark Energy? Inside Our Accelerating, Expanding Universe.” NASA Science, NASA, March 7. https://science.nasa.gov/dark-energy/.
NASA. 2006. Bullet Cluster: Direct Proof of Dark Matter. https://chandra.harvard.edu/graphics/resources/handouts/lithos/bullet_lithos.pdf.
Rubinobservatory.Org. n.d. “How Does Dark Matter Affect the Evolution of the Universe?” Accessed September 20, 2026. https://rubinobservatory.org/explore/science-goals/dark-matter.
ScienceDaily. 2026. “Scientists Just Mapped the Hidden Structure Holding the Universe Together.” https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260203020205.htm.
Comments
15 Responses to “The Answers To The Universe: Dark Matter and Dark Energy”
Hello iSci!
I chose the topic of dark matter and dark energy, as I recall that was one of the first topics discussed in our first physics lecture. I was interested in the very fundamental causes that created our universe, beyond just the Big Bang. In iSci, we are taught to look beyond just the norm and truly investigate the cause-and-effect relationships in nature, so I believe this topic truly delves into how the “invisible” and complex forms of matter and energy contribute to shaping our universe. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback!
– Swetha S
Hello Swetha,
Great blog post! I enjoyed learning more about our universe and dark matter! Here are some things you could do to improve your post
In P2S2, I think there was supposed to be a period in between “universe together” and “this can be attributed to…”
There are a couple of times where there is a space missing in between the last word in a sentence and the source. Make sure to fix that!
In P2S, there are a couple of times where sentences could be combined. For example “Researchers are now saying that normal matter makes up only 4% of the universe, whereas dark matter and dark energy might comprise the other 96%” and “They acquired new effects, including the ability to convert gas into stars and create new galaxies, referred to as “halos”
Make sure your figure caption is italicised
Besides that your blog post was well done!
Happy editing,
Brianna
Hey Brianna,
I have fixed these grammatical and formatting issues. Thank you for reading my post and giving me this feedback!
Hi Swetha!
I enjoyed reading this post about dark matter/energy as I didn’t know much about them before. You also wrote about a complex topic in a clear way!
Here are a couple suggestions:
– I would double check the spacing between your words and the punctuation (i.e., dark vs Dark) as it’s not always consistent.
– Also, I would think about potentially changing the Bullet Cluster section to make it more clear how scientists determined that most of the mass was separated from hot gas. One idea that could help explain why this observation is evidence for dark matter is gravitational lensing.
– Finally, P2 states that “dark matter is a catalyst for the development of planets and life” which was a little ambiguous to me because the article doesn’t talk about dark matter speeding up the process and not being consumed by itself so I thought it might have been an oversimplification. Perhaps it’s more accurate to just say it provided the gravitational structure that contributed to galaxy formation, which later allowed stars and planets to form.
Overall, this was a great article! Hope some of my suggestions helped.
Regards,
Mansi
Hi Mansi,
I have made sure all the words read “dark” with the lower case “d” rather than the capitalized one. I have mentioned gravitational lensing as a method to determine concentration of mass and I have rewritten the part connecting dark matter and planet development. Thank you so much for your valuable feedback!
Hi Swetha,
I found your post very interesting!
Feedback:
– “These can be referred to as “halos.”(Rubinobservatory.Org, n.d.).” you can remove the period after “halos” in this sentence.
– “Further imaging displayed that the majority of mass is separated from normal mass(shown in pink)(NASA 2006)” – “shown in pink” doesn’t need to be in parentheses. You can just put a comma after “mass” for clarity.
Best,
Gurleen
Hi Gurleen,
I have removed the period after “halos” and implemented a comma instead of using parentheses. Thank you so much for your feedback and I hope you enjoyed reading the post!
Hi Swetha,
This was such an interesting blog post to read! The topic you chose is super cool, and I learned a lot. Here are a few suggestions I had while reading:
– Citing the statistic referenced (P2S1)
– Consider adding a captione xplaining your figure (Figure 1)
– Make sure there is a space between the paranthesis and the word before it (throughout)
I look forward to reading the final post!
– Tsippora
Hi Tsippora,
I have added a brief caption of the figure and I ensured to add spacing between my in text citations and the previous word. I’m glad you enjoyed reading my post and thank you so much for the feedback!
Hi Swetha,
Great blog post! I really enjoyed learning about the role of dark matter and dark energy, as these concepts are often harder to research. Here are a few suggestions to help with your editing:
– Make sure your spacing is consistent. Your words and in-text citations, like “present(Rubinobservatory.Org, n.d.)” in P2S5, are sometimes left without spacing in between.
– (Figure 1) I think it would be helpful to expand on the figure caption of figure 1. The things that are discussed in your writing, like the normal matter in pink, can be added and expanded in the figure 1 caption.
– If space allows, consider expanding on how the Bullet Cluster is evidence of dark matter existing, you mentioned the x-ray as evidence but it would be helpful to readers if the link between this and the presence of dark matter was explicitly mentioned.
– Consider using more peer-reviewed sources for your writing!
Overall, great work! Happy editing 🙂
Myan
Hello Myan,
I have added spacing between the words and the citations. I have also expanded briefly on the figure 1 caption! In the future I will ensure to use more scientific and peer reviewed sources and expand more on existing evidence of theories. Thank you so much for your valuable feedback!
Hi Swetha,
Great topic, I have a few suggestions for your writing,
Firstly, in most of P4, the presence of (Kazmierczak 2025) likely doesn’t need to be repeated for each of the 4 consecutive sentences. If you’re paraphrasing a larger passage from your source, you can put the (Kazmierczak 2025) at the ending of the first sentence and the sentences after won’t require them again. Your repeated citations are fine for Chicago style, but it’d be cleaner and still within Chicago style standards if you cite once after either the end of the final sentence or after the first sentence you paraphrase.
This can also apply to P3, with the (NASA 2006) being repeated several times too. Just for a cleaner and more professional look, I would recommend reducing it to one citing of (NASA 2006) as it can imply the next sentences are also from the source.
Otherwise, this is a very interesting post, and I’m looking forward to the final product!
Teddy
Hey Teddy,
I have reduced the repetitions of the both of the in-text citations to make it look cleaner. Thank you for your feedback and for reading my post!
Hi Swetha,
Very interesting blog post, I always love reading more about dark energy and dark matter! Here’s some feedback as you move onto editing:
– This is an easy fix, but make sure there is a space before all of you intext citations! Sometimes there was no space between the last word of a sentence and the parenthesis for the intext citation, so I would double check those.
– If you want, I would suggest changing the wording of Paragraph 2 Sentence 3 to be “This can be attributed to the fact that although dark matter does not directly interact with light, its gravity can bend light.” This could help with the flow of the sentence.
– I would also recommend changing Paragraph 3 Sentence 2 to be “This cluster formed from the energetic collision of two previously separate cluster.”
Overall, very engaging and interesting blog post!
Good luck editing,
Alexandra
Hi Alexandra,
I have made sure there is a space between my in text citations and I have also fixed my awkward wording for both paragraphs 2 and 3. Thank you for your feedback and for reading my blog post!