Universe's matter content. Illustration showing the proportions of the Universe's matter content. Matter makes up about 30% of the Universe, the rest
Universe's matter content. Illustration showing the proportions of the Universe's matter content. Matter makes up about 30% of the Universe, the rest is dark energy. The matter can be dark (29%) or visible (1%, top layer). The dark matter can be further divided into non baryonic (25%, bottom layer) and baryonic (4%, middle layer) dark matter. The visible matter (the Universe's luminous stars) is not enough to explain the universe's observed expansion rate. This missing mass can be accounted for by MACHOs (massive astrophysical compact halo objects) such as brown dwarf stars, or elementary particles like WIMPS (weakly-interacting massive particles). MACHOs are baryonic matter (containing protons and neutrons) and WIMPS are non-baryonic. Dark energy is a relatively unknown quantity that is thought to be driving the Universe's expansion.
Size: 4252px × 4275px
Photo credit: © TIM BROWN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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