By Micah Jonah
January 27, 2026
Scientists have unveiled the most detailed map yet of dark matter distribution in the universe using observations from the James Webb Space Telescope.
The new map was created from images taken in a region of the sky covering almost three times the size of the full moon and provides clearer insight into the invisible substance that makes up most of the matter in the universe.
According to researchers, dark matter accounts for about 85 percent of all matter in the cosmos, while ordinary matter such as stars, planets and human beings makes up only about 15 percent.
Dark matter cannot be seen directly because it does not emit or reflect light. However, scientists are able to detect its presence by observing how its gravity bends light from distant galaxies and affects how galaxies and clusters of galaxies move and hold together.
The latest map was produced by measuring slight distortions in the shapes of about 250,000 distant galaxies, caused by the gravitational pull of matter between the galaxies and the telescope.
A previous map was produced using data from the Hubble Space Telescope, however, the new James Webb map has about twice the resolution, covers a wider area of space while also looking further back in time, estimated at about 8 to 10 billion years ago, which is a critical period in the formation of galaxies.
Lead researcher Diana Scognamiglio of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory said the new observations allow scientists to see smaller structures of dark matter that were previously hidden and to better understand how matter formed the large scale structure of the universe known as the cosmic web.
The cosmic web consists of galaxy clusters and long filaments of matter where galaxies and gas are concentrated, as well as regions with much lower density.
The James Webb Space Telescope, which was launched in 2021 and became operational in 2022, has about six times the light gathering power of the Hubble Space Telescope and can observe much fainter and more distant galaxies.
Researchers said the new findings support the leading scientific model of the universe known as Lambda CDM, which explains that the universe is dominated by dark matter and dark energy, with dark matter forming the gravitational foundation on which galaxies and galaxy clusters develop.
Scientists believe the new map will help improve future studies on how galaxies grow and evolve over time, how the universe developed from a nearly uniform state into the complex structure seen today.
