Dark Matter Day is Just Around the Corner

What keeps galaxies from flying apart? What is the invisible mass that bends light in space? For now, we’re calling it dark matter and this October 31st, laboratories around the world are shining a light on the search for it. 

Dark matter doesn’t interact with light but accounts for 85% of all the matter in the universe. It’s completely invisible to us, yet distorts space and somehow binds galaxies together - we only know it exists because of its gravitational effect on visible matter. 

Dozens of experiments are underway around the world, working to better understand dark matter and hopefully detect an interaction. This year, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded in part for discoveries in theoretical cosmology that contribute to our knowledge of dark matter and its role in the early universe.

Dark matter-themed events are being organized by labs and institutions around the world doing this research. They range from live webcasts with researchers to dark matter scavenger hunts to a Reddit AMA. Find a sortable list at www.darkmatterday.com/events-list.

It's not too late to host your own event! You can find resources to help you get started at www.darkmatterday.com/event-starter-kit/. If you're holding a Dark Matter-themed event, you can register them at www.darkmatterday.com/submit-event/.

Sponsored by the Interactions Collaboration, an international community of particle physics communication specialists, the first Dark Matter Day took place on Tuesday, October 31, 2017. The goal of Dark Matter Day is to celebrate the work being done and share this cosmic puzzle with audiences worldwide. 

Explore the Dark Matter Day website, www.darkmatterday.com, to learn more and find an event near you. 

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Press Contact

Jenna Saffin
Science Communication Coordinator
SNOLAB
705.692.7000 ext. 2822
jsaffin@snolab.ca