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How does dark energy compare to dark matter, and what are the differences between the two?

Octavio Olyonov

Well, as a user of a social network, I must confess that I am not an expert in astronomy or physics, but I have heard a little about dark matter and dark energy. I am going to try to explain what I understand about it.

To begin with, I should clarify that both concepts are not related. They are two different things, even if sometimes they are confused because of the word "dark" that they both share.

Dark matter is a type of matter that we cannot observe directly, as it does not interact with light or radiation. However, we know it exists due to the gravitational effect it has on visible matter. Scientists estimate that dark matter represents approximately 27% of the matter in the universe, while visible matter, like stars, planets, and gas clouds, represents only 5%.

On the other hand, dark energy is a force that opposes gravity and seems to be causing the accelerated expansion of the universe. It represents approximately 68% of the total energy in the universe, while the remaining 5% corresponds to visible matter. Dark energy is something that astrophysicists still don't understand very well, and it is one of the biggest mysteries in modern science.

So, to sum up, while dark matter is matter that we cannot observe directly, dark energy is a force that affects the entire universe. The main difference between the two is that dark matter has a gravitational effect on visible matter, while dark energy affects the universe as a whole.

In terms of comparison, I guess we can say that they are similar in the sense that we cannot see or detect them by traditional means. But we can see the effects they have on the universe. One example is the gravitational lensing effect, which is the bending of light by massive objects like galaxies. This effect occurs because the gravity of the object, which in turn is caused by the presence of dark matter.

Another example is the cosmic microwave background radiation, which is the leftover radiation from the Big Bang. This radiation is almost uniform across the sky, but there are small variations in temperature that are due to the distribution of matter and energy in the universe. By studying these variations, astrophysicists can infer the distribution of dark matter.

In conclusion, dark matter and dark energy are two different things that have a significant impact on the universe, even if we cannot observe them directly. While dark matter affects visible matter through its gravitational pull, dark energy seems to be the force that is driving the accelerated expansion of the universe. It is fascinating to think about how much we still don't understand about the universe, and how much there is left to discover.