Watching for changes in the Red Planet’s orbit over time could be a new way to detect passing dark matter. MIT physicists suggest that primordial black holes, formed just after the Big Bang, could constitute most of the universe's dark matter.

In a new study, MIT physicists propose that if most of the dark matter in the universe is made up of microscopic primordial black holes—an idea first proposed in the 1970s—then these gravitational dwarfs should zoom through our solar system at least once per decade.

Tiny black hole "bullets" left over from the Big Bang could be passing through Mars at speeds in excess of 7,000 times the speed of sound, causing the Red Planet to "wobble."

They found that if a primordial black hole came within a few hundred million miles of Mars, it could cause a slight “wobble” in Mars’ orbit. Over a few years, this wobble would amount to about a meter, which is very small compared to Mars’ distance from Earth. However, these tiny size instruments monitor Mars.

In a new study, MIT physicists propose that if most of the dark matter in the universe is made up of microscopic primordial black holes — an idea first proposed in the 1970s — then these g

New simulations suggest that there are enough primordial black holes—potential dark matter candidates—in the universe for one to pass through the inner solar system every decade. The work builds upon an astrophysical theory that has growing popularity.

Mars could be acting a little strangely in future, and scientists believe its behaviour could help to indicate dark matter. The new research could have major consequences for the study of the mysterious material in the universe.