Cold stars, death stars could help define dark matter

Looking for dead stars near the Milky Way or in star clusters may help scientists figure out where dark matter exists.

Dark matter is invisible and makes up 23 percent of the space in the universe, but because of its invisibility, it can only be searched for through the demise of normal matter.

There are several theories about dark matter in the world, but one of the most popular is the Large Particle theory (WIMPs), in which scientists plant experimental detectors in mines or mountains and wait for dark matter to arrive.

Another approach is to look for dark matter in the sun or white dwarfs, but dark matter is too small to be seen.

So a scientist from Belgium suggests looking at neutron stars. They're cold, they're dead bodies of stars, they're very close to the sun, and they're very dense, which is better for looking at dark matter.