Where is the missing matter that should exist in our universe?

Space · Published 11 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: For decades, physicists have faced a cosmic discrepancy. Based on the early universe, there should be far more ordinary matter than what we actually see inside stars and galaxies. Now, researchers are using radio signals to find these elusive, diffuse clouds of matter hiding in the vast spaces between galaxies.

The mystery stems from a fundamental calculation regarding the composition of the early universe. Shortly after the Big Bang, approximately 83 percent of all matter was composed of invisible dark matter, leaving the remainder as ordinary matter. However, when scientists tally the visible matter within stars and galaxies today, the total falls significantly short of those early universe estimates. This discrepancy has led to a long-standing search for the 'missing' ordinary matter.

To solve this, researchers from the CHIME/FRB Collaboration have developed a novel method using fast radio bursts (FRBs). These are ultrabright, millisecond flashes of radio waves originating from energetic phenomena in the distant universe. As an FRB signal travels toward Earth, it becomes 'smeared' or stretched in time. The degree of this smearing is directly related to the amount of matter the signal passes through during its journey.

By comparing the smearing of thousands of FRB signals with known galaxy locations, the MIT-led team discovered that the missing matter exists in very diffuse 'puffs' or clouds surrounding groups of galaxies. These clouds extend much further into space than previous scientific predictions had suggested. This discovery supports the theory that energetic processes within galaxies—such as exploding stars or jets from black holes—flung this matter out into the surrounding cosmic voids.

These findings, published in Physical Review Letters, suggest that the energetic processes driving matter out of galaxies are more powerful than scientists previously believed. The research indicates a clear correlation: areas with a higher density of galaxies tend to have more of this missing matter surrounding them, helping to finally map the hidden architecture of the cosmos.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• Where did the universe's missing ordinary matter go?
• Astronomers have finally located the mysterious missing matter hiding in the vast cosmic web
• Cosmologists have finally located the universe's missing matter, but its true nature remains elusive.
• The cosmic microwave background is a snapshot of the universe in its infancy.
• Astronomers may have finally glimpsed the light from the universe's inaugural generation of stars.
• The universe left behind a fossil of its own birth
• Is our universe just one stage in an infinite cycle?
• SPHEREx prepares to map the universe in infrared light for cosmic history
• The standard model of cosmology faces hurdles at the smallest scales
• Can ancient sound waves reveal the secrets of dark energy?
• Testing if gravity changes on a universal scale
• Does space expand everywhere, or is your living room safe from cosmic stretching?

More in Cosmology · More in Space · Latest · A–Z · All topics