How to make the cosmic web give up the matter it’s hiding

Half the universe's ordinary matter is missing. This new technique might have found it.

computer simulation of the universe

A TANGLED SKEIN  This computer simulation of the universe highlights its structure: long filaments of dark matter (blue) with galaxies strung along them like beads (pink). Most of the regular matter is probably stored in gas (orange).

Illustris Collaboration

Evidence is piling up that much of the universe’s missing matter is lurking along the strands of a vast cosmic web.