Astronomy Project Note Sheet

Grace: What is dark matter and dark energy?
The universe is approximately 68% dark energy, 27% dark matter, and 5% normal matter.
Dark Energy:
Scientists do not know a lot about dark energy, and this is ironic because it makes up most of our universe.
However, as the universe has expanded, it has expanded faster than ever before. One theory that explains this is that a large dark energy force is pulling it apart.
Dark Matter:
Dark matter can’t release or reflect light; however, scientists can estimate the exact location of the dark matter using gravitational lensing.
Einstein’s theory of relativity is basically the idea that light can be bent by mass, and this is what helps us see the dark matter. Gravitational