Callum Jones
NASA has released its largest dark matter map, offering the most detailed look at the invisible substance.
Considering that dark matter makes up roughly 27 percent of the universe, it's fair to say we don't know an awful lot about it.
That could be about to change, however, given NASA is making inroads when it comes to evidence of dark matter and its importance in holding the universe together.
And if work continues to go on in the background, experts over at Durham University in the UK believe it could well help astronomers piece together exactly what happened with the formation of the Milky Way.
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It's not just that, as scientists believe the map and further research could offer an insight into how planet Earth came about.
Professor Richard Massey, co-author of the study published in Nature Astronomy, said: "Wherever you find normal matter in the Universe today, you also find dark matter. Billions of dark matter particles pass through your body every second. There's no harm, they don't notice us and just keep going."
He continued: "But the whole swirling cloud of dark matter around the Milky Way has enough gravity to hold our entire galaxy together. Without dark matter, the Milky Way would spin itself apart."
While intriguing, a lot of mystery surrounds dark matter and the role it plays in space. What we do know is that it's definitely important, as some scientists suggest dark matter has a crucial role in the formation of planets, subsequently leading to life as we know it now.
To further elaborate on their findings, experts decided to use the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most powerful telescope on Earth, to map out exactly where dark matter is lying.
Ultimately, the team came to the conclusion that dark matter interacts with the rest of the universe through the power of gravity.
Dr Gavin Leroy, a fellow co-author on the study, added: "By revealing dark matter with unprecedented precision, our map shows how an invisible component of the Universe has structured visible matter to the point of enabling the emergence of galaxies, stars, and ultimately life itself.
"This map reveals the invisible but essential role of dark matter, the true architect of the Universe, which gradually organises the structures we observe through our telescopes."
To put the power of the James Webb telescope into perspective, the new map is said to contain 10 times more galaxies than maps of the area previously seen from ground-level.
"This is the largest dark matter map we’ve made with Webb, and it’s twice as sharp as any dark matter map made by other observatories," said Diana Scognamiglio, of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and lead author of the study. "Previously, we were looking at a blurry picture of dark matter. Now we’re seeing the invisible scaffolding of the universe in stunning detail, thanks to Webb’s incredible resolution."
Experts remarkably captured nearly 800,000 galaxies on the map, some of which were seen for the first time, after the telescope nosied into space for a whopping 255 hours.