Dark matter. Abstract illustration of dark matter showing a spiral galaxy as a jigsaw puzzle with many of the pieces missing. Dark matter is a theoretical concept used by cosmologists to explain why the stars in a galaxy stay together. The gravitational force within a galaxy can be determined by its rotational period. The mass of the stars can be calculated by measuring their luminosity. Cosmologists estimate that only about 10% of the gravitational force holding galaxies together comes from visible mass. Theoreticians have suggested that the other 90% comes from dark matter made of subatomic particles or compact,non-luminous material such as asteroids | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / Cook, Lynette |
Taille de l’image : | 5687 px × 3140 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Property Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : | - |