Scientists may be closer than ever to proving the existence of dark matter, the invisible substance that makes up more than a quarter of the universe. By studying a mysterious glow of gamma rays at the center of the Milky Way, researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics believe they have found evidence that matches what would be expected if dark matter particles were colliding and releasing bursts of energy. Using advanced supercomputer simulations, they mapped how dark matter should be distributed in our galaxy and found that their predictions lined up with real observations from NASA's Fermi satellite.

Although spinning neutron stars could still be responsible for the gamma-ray glow, the new findings make that explanation less likely and tip the scales toward dark matter. The results are not final proof, but they are a major step forward. Scientists hope the upcoming Cerenkov Telescope Array in Chile will be powerful enough to distinguish between radiation from dark matter and other sources, potentially confirming dark matter's long-sought presence in the universe.