Super Cosmic Space Fact of the Day!!
Here's something that'll make your brain do a double take:
Everything you can actually see in the Milky Way—every star, planet, nebula, black hole, and cloud of gas—adds up to less than 10% of the galaxy's total mass!
The other ~90% is thought to be dark matter. It doesn't emit light, absorb light, or reflect light, so it's completely invisible.
So how do we know it's there? Because the stars orbiting the center of the Milky Way are moving way too fast. Based on the visible matter alone, they should've escaped the galaxy long ago. Instead, something unseen is supplying enough gravity to keep the whole thing together.
In other words, most of our galaxy is made of something we've never directly observed. The universe is quite comfortable hiding the majority of itself.
Oh, and if you're wondering why today's fact dropped so late, blame Ryusui. The idiot dragged me shopping, which somehow devolved into him trying to convince me I'd look "distinguished" in a lineup of overpriced suits.
I remain unconvinced. The suits were scientifically terrible. Ten billion percent a waste of time.
@greedisjustice
