Everything we see — stars, planets, galaxies, and all conventional matter — makes up just 5% of the cosmos.
Over 95% of the universe is invisible to us.
The universe we see is just the tip of the cosmic iceberg. Scientists have long known that the visible universe—stars, planets, and galaxies—accounts for only a tiny fraction of what truly exists. Observations of galactic motion and the accelerating expansion of space suggest that 95% of the cosmos is made up of mysterious, unseen forces.
Dark matter, comprising 27%, provides the gravitational glue holding galaxies together, while dark energy, a staggering 68%, is driving the universe’s expansion at an accelerating rate. That leaves just 5% for everything we can see, from black holes to the smallest particles of dust.
Despite knowing that dark matter and dark energy exist, scientists still don’t know exactly what they are. These hidden forces shape the cosmos in ways we are only beginning to understand, making them one of the greatest scientific mysteries of our time.
As telescopes grow more powerful and technology advances, researchers continue their search for answers. Somewhere beyond the reach of our current knowledge, the true nature of the universe is waiting to be uncovered.
learn more https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanets/what-is-the-universe/
image by From Quarks to Quasars