Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Johan Hidding / Flickr
We know how much total matter is in the universe, including "normal" matter (things like stars, planets, you, me) and more mysterious "dark" matter. However, only about 10% of the normal matter has been accounted for in surveys of galaxies. Astronomers have long suspected the missing matter sits in threads of gas between galaxies, but it's hard to detect because it's very tenuous.
What's new: Researchers now report spotting about 30% of the missing matter by looking for its shadow in the cosmic microwave background — the afterglow of the big bang itself. The background light filters through the gas and gets bumped up to higher energies through collisions with the hot particles, leading to a subtly higher observed temperature between galaxies.
Why it matters: While it doesn't completely solve the mystery of the missing matter, the research may help us paint a fuller family portrait of the universe. By understanding what it's made of, we can learn more about its past and future evolution.