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Concepts Encyclopedia Entry 1775422087

Dark matter and dark energy are two mysterious concepts in modern astrophysics that have revolutionized our understanding of the universe, but remain poorly understood. ## Overview Dark matter and dark energy are two of the most enigmatic concepts in modern astrophysics. They were first proposed in the 1930s by Swiss astrophysicist Fritz Zwicky, who observed that the galaxies in galaxy clusters were moving at much higher velocities than expected. This led him to conclude that there must be a large amount of unseen mass holding the galaxies together. Later, in the 1990s, a team of scientists led by Saul Perlmutter, Adam Riess, and Brian Schmidt discovered that the expansion of the universe was accelerating, leading them to propose the existence of dark energy. ## History/Background The concept of dark matter was first proposed by Zwicky in 1933, while he was studying the Coma galaxy cluster. He observed that the galaxies in the cluster were moving at much higher velocities than expected, suggesting that there must be a large amount of unseen mass holding them together. This idea was initially met with skepticism, but it gained acceptance in the 1970s with the discovery of galaxy rotation curves. These curves showed that the rotation speed of galaxies increased linearly with distance from the center, even in the absence of visible matter. The concept of dark energy was first proposed in the 1990s by a team of scientists led by Perlmutter, Riess, and Schmidt. They were studying the light from distant supernovae, which was dimmer than expected. This led them to conclude that the expansion of the universe was accelerating, rather than slowing down as expected. They proposed that this acceleration was caused by a mysterious form of energy that was spread throughout the universe. ## Key Information Dark matter and dark energy are two distinct concepts that are still poorly understood. Dark matter is thought to make up approximately 27% of the universe's mass-energy density, while dark energy makes up approximately 68%. The remaining 5% is made up of ordinary matter, such as stars, planets, and galaxies. Dark matter is thought to be composed of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), while dark energy is thought to be a property of space itself. The discovery of dark matter and dark energy has revolutionized our understanding of the universe. It has led to a new understanding of the universe's evolution and structure, and has opened up new areas of research in astrophysics and cosmology. However, much remains to be learned about these mysterious concepts. ## Significance The discovery of dark matter and dark energy has significant implications for our understanding of the universe. It has led to a new understanding of the universe's evolution and structure, and has opened up new areas of research in astrophysics and cosmology. The study of dark matter and dark energy has also led to the development of new technologies and instruments, such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and the Dark Energy Survey (DES). INFOBOX: - Name: Dark Matter and Dark Energy - Type: Astrophysical Concepts - Date: 1933 (dark matter), 1990s (dark energy) - Location: Universe-wide - Known For: Revolutionizing our understanding of the universe's evolution and structure TAGS: **Dark Matter**, **Dark Energy**, **Astrophysics**, **Cosmology**, **Galaxy Evolution**, **Supernovae**, **WIMPs**, **Large Synoptic Survey Telescope**, **Dark Energy Survey**