Researched
Evidence for Dark Matter
Zwicky (1933) and Rubin and Ford (1970) find that galaxies move as if they hold far more mass than we see.
Open in the interactive tree →Stars at the edge of spiral galaxies orbit as fast as those near the centre, which Newtonian gravity explains only with unseen mass. Gravitational lensing and the microwave background later confirmed that most matter is dark, yet the particle has not been found.
Prerequisites
- Newtonian Mechanics1687
- Discovery of Neptune1846Same logic as Neptune: unseen mass inferred from its pull on visible bodies
- Expansion & Big Bang1929
Unlocks
- Dark MatteropenGalaxy rotation and cluster motions are the first evidence for dark matter
Sources
More in Physics · Atomic & Space Age
- Quantum Electrodynamics1948
- CERN1954
- Atomic Clock1955
- Laser1960
- Bell Test of Entanglement1964
- CO2 Laser1964
- Cosmic Microwave Background1964
- Excimer Laser1970