Do we know what "Dark Matter" is yet and how much of it is there?

Answer 1

YES WE KNOW WHAT DARK MATTER AND IT IS PROVED
and in universe 4% of the total energy density in the universe (as inferred from gravitational effects) can be seen directly. About 22% is thought to be composed of dark matter. The remaining 74% is thought to consist of dark energy
If u want more information of dark matter then go here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_matter

Answer 2

Higgs Field, eh? One dark matter theory is that dark matter is not baryonic. Baryons are subatomic particles like protons and neutrons. If dark matter is not composed of protons and neutrons, it is strange stuff indeed. It doesn't interact with ordinary matter but has a gravitational effect on ordinary matter. Another idea is that dark matter is nothing but neutrinos. These nearly mass-less particles can zip through 6 trillion miles of lead and not even hit anything. They are created by our sun, and every other star in the universe, through nuclear fusion and they pass through our bodies all the time, night or day, because they go right through the earth's day side and out the other side like the earth wasn't even there. The point is that neutrinos don't interact much with ordinary matter either, and if there's a vast amount of them surrounding galaxies like a "halo", that could be dark matter. Another theory is that it's zillions of burnt-out stars (brown dwarfs) that have mass but don't shine anymore and therefore can't be seen. As for how much theoretical dark matter there is, I think it's something like 80 percent of all the matter in the universe.

Answer 3

I think dark matter is just stuff we can't see because it's not a star and it's not reflecting enough light from a star for us to see. So, a planet or comet that's not right near a star or doesn't reflect light well would count. As for how much of it is there, we can take a stab at it because like with all matter, dark matter has gravity and it'll affect the orbits and such of everything else, but in terms of the universe we just have to estimate, and it's an awfully broad estimate.

Answer 4

We do not know what dark matter is and we do not know how much is out there. We have a phenomenon or two with no explanation and dark matter is what is currently filling the gap -- that's about all we know about it, and if you're like me you realize that that is not much at all.

Frankly, the whole "dark matter" thing sounds alot like the ether which was supposed to be the medium that electromagnetic radiation travelled in -- except there is no ether and discovering that was one of the keys leading to relativity. I fear scientists are going down a path they are going to regret by speaking with such certainty about "dark matter." There's no proof, guys and gals!

Answer 5

Dark Matter is formed from theoretical particles thought to be smaller in size than neutrinos, almost with no mass. They are very difficult to detect as they can pass through our bodies and there is no effect. Your question if answered could resolve one of the biggest enigmas in Astrophysics. Will the Universe reunite through gravity again and collapse to form a singularity which in order will create another Big Bang??, let me put it this way, there is X amount of matter in the universe, this mass is expanding at very high velocities, is there enough matter to stop this expansion through the force of gravity?? some say there is not enough mass and the universe will continue expanding until in 10 (100) years (this number is unimaginably huge) protons will decay and the known universe will evaporate. Or there is enough matter but we can´t see it because its "dark" but it is there and it will halt the universe expansion and perhaps bring it together again to form another big bang.

Answer 6

Regardless of what others try to tell you, science has NOT yet proven what dark matter is. There are all kinds of theories and proposals, but so far none of them has proved conclusively that they can account for the observed motions and shapes of galaxies. Some dark matter candidates are: (1)massive-compact-halo-objects (MACHOs) that include things like black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs; (2)weakly-interacting-massive-particles (WIMPs) such as axions and photinos; (3)neutrinos; (4)some unknown form of mass.

The amount of universal dark matter has been estimated to be about 23%

Answer 7

Dark matter is the opposite of matter or also called anitmatter. There isn't much and it is kept in a secret chamber under the pentagon. A single drop can destroy the world. Even talking about it can be life threatening. I would recommend that you forget you ever mentioned it. Good luck!!

Answer 8

Dark matter is nothing else but vacuum. Vacuum is nothing, that's why its color is black (no light). The black background outside the big bang is pure vacuum (nothing), but the inner side of the big bang contains a small density of thermal radiation (heat) and hence the black background of the big bang is not considered pure vacuum.

Considering this there is an infinite amount of dark matter, but in fact we do not speak of an amount as it is nothing.

Answer 9

Dark Matter doesn't exist. It is fictitious name given to some unknown properties which scientists can not explain

Answer 10

there is more than one definition for dark matter but only one is true. the true definition for dark matter is that it is not another name for antimatter which does in fact exist in a labrotory in germany, but is what we "space" and by that it means basically the empty space around the planets. and to answer your second question it is thought to be infinite.