New Delhi, Jan. 28 -- A new high-resolution map of distant galaxies may help scientists understand a mysterious invisible substance that helps hold the universe together.

The ordinary matter all around us - stars, planets and people - makes up just 5% of the universe. For decades, researchers have hoped to demystify what's known as dark matter, a material that comprises just over a quarter of our universe. Another equally mysterious force called dark energy makes up the rest.

Dark matter doesn't absorb or give off light so scientists can't study it directly. But they can observe how its gravity warps and bends the star stuff around it - for example, the light from distant galaxies. By studying these distortions across large swathes of t...