Discovery · 1933 CE
Evidence for Dark Matter
History of Astronomy
Overview
Fritz Zwicky inferred unseen mass in the Coma cluster in 1933, and from the 1970s Vera Rubin's galaxy rotation curves showed that galaxies are dominated by invisible 'dark matter'.
Why it matters
Revealed that most of the matter in the universe is of an unknown, non-luminous kind.
Credit
Objects & facilities
Knowledge connections
- Discovered byFritz Zwicky
- Discovered byVera Rubin
- Part ofModern Astronomy
- Related toThe Milky Way
- Related toDark Matter
Sources & references
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.
- BritannicaEncyclopaedia Britannica
General reference for the history of astronomy, biographies, and cultural context.