Despite making up about 27% of the universe, dark matter has never been directly observed. It doesn’t emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it invisible and detectable only through its gravitational effects.Observations of galaxies and galaxy clusters reveal more mass than what we can see with visible matter alone. Dark matter is hypothesized to explain these gravitational effects, but its true nature remains unknown.
Dark energy is thought to constitute about 68% of the universe and is responsible for its accelerated expansion. Like dark matter, it remains elusive and poorly understood.
Observations of distant supernovae suggest that the universe’s expansion is speeding up, not slowing down. This implies the existence of a mysterious repulsive force, dubbed dark energy, driving this acceleration.