Scientists report possible first glimpse of dark matter, the most elusive ingredient of the universe

A First Real Glimpse of Dark Matter? Scientists Track Universe’s Most Elusive Ingredient (Representational Image: Canva)

A quiet glow near our galaxy’s heart has stirred curiosity. It has pushed researchers to ask if dark matter has finally revealed itself. The idea now sits at the centre of a new study.

So what did scientists actually find this time? A team led by Prof. Tomonori Totani of the University of Tokyo studied data from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The group focused on the Milky Way’s centre, where dark matter should be most crowded. They found a halo-shaped gamma-ray glow around 20 gigaelectronvolts. That pattern follows long-standing predictions for WIMP particles, suggested by space.com. These particles are expected to collide and release strong gamma rays. Totani said the emission fits the expected form of a dark matter halo. He also said no known objects offer a simple alternative cause.

Scientists have searched for dark matter for many decades. What has made this hunt difficult so far? Dark matter neither emits light nor reflects any radiation. It was first proposed in the 1930s by Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky. Later studies by Vera Rubin supported the idea through galaxy rotation speeds. Researchers now believe dark matter forms 85% of all matter. This makes it heavier than stars, planets and humans combined. Yet no team has directly observed it, reported the Guardian.

Could this new signal finally confirm dark matter? Experts say more testing will be needed before that claim stands. The finding must survive detailed checks from other teams. Confirmed detection would point to a new particle outside current models. Such a result would echo earlier milestones like the Higgs boson. For now, the signal offers a rare clue but leaves the story unfinished. Scientists hope further work will decide if dark matter briefly stepped into view.