Dark matter is a type of matter that is hypothesized in the field of astronomy and cosmology to be something that appears to have no mass.  It is referred to as “dark” because this type of matter does not emit any electromagnetic radiation unlike the standard or conventional matter that people are familiar about.  The only way for people to observe dark matter is through its gravitational effect on other matter that is visible via telescopes like moons and stars.

The subject of dark matter in cosmology and astronomy is considered very mysterious because of the fact that it cannot be observed in the same way as other types of matter.  Other types of matter have different properties that can be easily observed.  Some conventional matter is able to emit light while others produce energy in terms of electromagnetic waves.  Dark matter meanwhile is something that is thought of as existent but cannot be observed unless a person will study its effect in terms of gravitational energy towards other matter.  The idea of having something that cannot be literally seen or observed but has some gravitational effect towards others make the subject of dark matter mysterious and hypothetical.

The universe is said to be composed of about 26.8% dark matter and 4.9% ordinary or conventional matter.  The remaining parts are classified as dark energy. With a seemingly huge presence in the universe, dark matter is continuously being studied and researched upon.  Its idea and theories around it are basically accepted by most of the scientific community but not necessarily absolute. Many scientists believed that dark matter consists of atoms and particles that maybe highly compressed or have weak particles.  Many of these objects are said be found in so-called black holes and brown dwarfs in different areas of the universe.  There are also other theories and hypotheses regarding the existence of such a matter or thing that cannot be observed but has some gravitational effects on visible forms of matter.