Dark energy: The mysterious force causing the universe to expand

Scientists confirm with 99.996 percent certainty the existence of a little-understood substance that is "one of the great scientific mysteries of our time"

Physicists believe that only 4 percent of the universe is made up of ordinary matter like stars and planets, with the remaining 96 percent composed of dark matter and dark energy.
(Image credit: ThinkStock/Hemera)

Physicists have long understood very little about dark energy, a mysterious substance thought to be stretching out the cosmos. But thanks to a new two-year study from researchers in Germany and the U.K., we can at least confirm scientists' longstanding dark-energy theories with 99.996 percent certainty. But what is this stuff, exactly? Here, a handy guide:

First things first: What is the universe made of?

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