How is matter in the universe typically categorized?

Matter in the universe is typically categorized into baryonic and non-baryonic matter, which is crucial for understanding the universe's composition. Baryonic matter includes all the matter that makes up stars, planets, and living organisms, essentially everything composed of protons and neutrons. This category encompasses the ordinary matter that we interact with on a day-to-day basis.

Non-baryonic matter, on the other hand, refers to forms of matter that do not consist of baryons, such as dark matter. This type of matter does not emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it invisible and detectable primarily through its gravitational effects. Understanding this distinction is fundamental in cosmology because it helps researchers explain the observed gravitational phenomena in the universe that cannot be accounted for by visible matter alone.

The other categories mentioned, such as matter and antimatter or solid and liquid matter, do not adequately capture the prevailing classifications used in astronomy, particularly regarding the vast amounts of unseen matter that play crucial roles in the structure and evolution of the universe.