Dark Matter's Influence on the Universe

Dark matter plays a vital role in the formation of structures in the universe. It clumped together due to gravitational attraction, creating a framework around which ordinary matter accumulated, leading to the formation of stars and galaxies. Dark matter has a negligible effect on Earth and the solar system due to its weak interaction with normal matter. However, on larger scales like clusters of galaxies, dark matter's gravitational influence is significant, holding galaxies together. Dark matter detection methods involve trying to catch rare interactions with normal matter, although definitive proof is yet to be found.