Science Common Sense

580 - What is dark matter, and why is it important in the universe?

Imagine you're in a room with your friends, but there are other people in the room that you can't see. You can tell they're there because you hear their voices and feel the chairs moving, but you can't actually see them. That's kind of like what dark matter is.

Dark matter is a type of matter that we can't see or touch, but we know it's there because of how it affects the stars and planets around it. It's like invisible glue that holds the universe together. It's important because it helps keep galaxies (groups of stars) from falling apart and helps them spin around each other.

Think of the universe like a big puzzle, and dark matter is one of the missing pieces that helps us understand how everything fits together. Without it, the universe would be very different and might not be able to exist as we know it. But scientists are still trying to figure out exactly what dark matter is and how it works.