Dark Matter & Energy Fuel the Universe
Dark Matter and Dark Energy
All the atoms and light in the universe together from stars and galaxies make up less than 5% of the total contents of the cosmos. The rest is composed of mysterious dark matter and dark energy. Dark matter (27%) makes up most of the mass of galaxies. Dark energy (68%) is the mysterious influence driving the expansions of the universe.
The Cosmic Web: the large Structure of the Universe
The Cosmic Web of the Universe
Looking up at the night sky, it seems as though the stars and galaxies are spread out in a more or less random fashion. This, however, isn’t really the case. The universe isn’t a random jumble of objects; it has a structure composed of interconnecting filaments of galaxies and gas that form a Cosmic Web.
The Soil and Nutrients that Fuel a Forest
Dark Matter and Energy Simplified
Think of the Universe as a Forest, the Trees as Galaxies, the Leaves as Stars, the Soil as Dark matter, and the Nutrients in the soil that fuel the growth and expansion of the forest as Dark energy. As long as there is soil and nutrients to fuel new growth the forest would expand exponentially forever.