A certain spiral galaxy has approximately 100 billion solar masses of stars, gas, and dust. Which of the following is likely to be closest to the mass of dark matter it contains?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Dark matter typically makes up about 85% of the total mass of a galaxy, with the remaining 15% being the visible matter (stars, gas, and dust). Therefore, if the visible matter in this galaxy is approximately 100 billion solar masses, the mass of dark matter would be significantly higher, making 1 trillion solar masses the closest estimate.

A Certain Spiral Galaxy Has Approximately 100 Billion Solar Masses