Dark Matter Clumps

This map shows the distribution of dark matter in a portion of our universe. It was created with the help of "weak gravitational lensing" -- a natural phenomenon that occurs when light from distant galaxies is slightly warped by the mass of galaxies and clumps of dark matter in the foreground. Astronomers use complex imaging software to analyze images of these warped galaxies, and ultimately to create dark matter maps like this one.

This map derives from the largest ever survey performed by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope -- the Cosmic Evolution Survey, or COSMOS.

Image credit: NASA/ESA/Caltech