How to explain dark matter to a five years old?

2023 Jan 20

Dark matter is a kind of mystery stuff that scientists think is all around us, but we can’t see it or touch it. It’s called “dark” because it doesn’t give off any light, like the sun or a lightbulb. But scientists know it’s there because they can see its effects on other things, like how it makes galaxies move.

Just like how you can feel the wind even though you can’t see it, scientists can see the effects of dark matter on things like stars and galaxies. It’s like a big invisible blanket that holds everything together.

Scientists are still trying to figure out exactly what dark matter is made of. Some think it could be tiny particles that we haven’t discovered yet, while others think it could be something even more mysterious. But one thing we know for sure is that it’s a really important part of the universe.

Imagine your toys are on a big blanket. The blanket is dark matter and it holds all your toys together and helps them move around. But you can’t see the blanket, you can just see your toys moving around. That’s how scientists think about dark matter. It’s like an invisible blanket that holds things together in space.