Scientists Say Planets Made of Dark Matter Could Be Hiding Throughout the Universe

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00:00What is dark matter?

00:05Well, the short answer is nobody really knows.

00:07But experts do believe that not only does it likely exist,

00:10but it also accounts for most of the mass of the universe.

00:13And while many agree it's likely in the spaces between pretty much everything,

00:16now scientists say entire planets might be made of the yet-to-be-observed material.

00:20Researchers can use what's called radial velocity to calculate the mass of a planet by the effect it has on its own star.

00:26And using those calculations relative to the planet's size can tell us about its density.

00:30But a team of theoretical physicists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison say

00:34this could also help identify exoplanets made of dark matter.

00:37But what would they be looking for?

00:39Well, anything that isn't really definable by current models.

00:42Science Alert reports that might be something like finding a planet that's denser than iron.

00:45In addition, if an exoplanet's orbital velocity points to it passing in front of its host star,

00:50and then we don't observe that happening, this too could be a sign of a dark matter-based planet.

00:54With their researchers writing in their study, quote,

00:56The dark matter exoplanet may not be completely opaque, rendering a light-curved shape,

01:01distinguishable from that of an ordinary exoplanet.