New data to aid search for elusive dark matter

China released the first batch of gamma photon data obtained by the Dark Matter Particle Explorer satellite-based telescope on Tuesday, allowing scientists to improve their hunt for elusive dark matter.

Dark matter is a type of substance that cannot be directly observed but is believed to account for around 80 percent of the mass of the universe. Gamma photons are the most energetic particles of light in the electromagnetic spectrum.

The telescope, also known as Wukong or Monkey King, has collected data on around 10.7 billion high-energy cosmic rays since its launch in 2015, according to the National Space Science Data Center and the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.