Ordinary matter: Lost and found

Never mind about dark matter. Forget dark energy. Astronomers aren’t even sure of the whereabouts of most of the cosmos’ ordinary material: protons, neutrons, and electrons. New findings add to the evidence that two-thirds of this matter resides not in galaxies but in warm gas clouds that surround them.

HIDDEN MATTER. Simulation shows that most of the ordinary matter (green) in the cosmos today consists of gas glowing at invisible X-ray and ultraviolet wavelengths.