It simply matches the measurements. Modern science has available modern technology to measure so much and with such a precision that any theory that attempts t

It simply matches the measurements. Modern science has available modern technology to measure so much and with such a precision that any theory that attempts to be scientifically accepted has to match with the existing measurements. The only approach that is not "dark mater" which is not completely disqualifying itself on all scales (by not matching anything) is MOND, which is still more "let's try to find some formulas that can match at least some observations" than something that even now can be consistent with all observations and measurements. Still, where MOND doesn't match the observations, it fails not in the orders of the magnitudes, it even results in the wrong shape of the curve: https://arxiv.org/abs/1112.1320 https://arxiv.org/abs/1112.1320 "The biggest challenge facing MOND today is the shape of the matter power spectrum. The shape depicted in Fig. 1 is related to the acoustic oscillations observed in the CMB. If the Universe is dominated by dark matter, these matter oscillations, dubbed Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO), are highly suppressed as the baryons fall into the potential wells created by dark matter, leaving only percent level traces of the primordial oscillations. In a no-dark matter model, on the other hand, the oscillations should be just as apparent in matter as they are in the radiation. Indeed, Fig. 1 illustrates that – even if a generalization such as TeVeS fixes the amplitude problem – the shape of the predicted spectrum is in violent disagreement with the observed shape." Or to summarize: https://medium.com/starts-with-a-bang/theres-a-debate-raging-over-whether-dark-matter-is-real-but-one-side-is-cheating-d25f28319d70 https://medium.com/starts-with-a-bang/theres-a-debate-raging... "On the scales of groups of galaxies, individual galaxy clusters, colliding galaxy clusters, the cosmic web, and the leftover radiation from the Big Bang, MOND’s predictions fail to match reality, whereas dark matter succeeds spectacularly. It’s possible, and perhaps even likely, that someday we will understand enough about dark matter to understand why and how the MOND phenomenon on the scales of individual galaxies arises. But when you look at the full suite of evidence, dark matter is practically a scientific certainty. It’s only if you ignore all of modern cosmology that the modified gravity alternative looks viable. Selectively ignoring the robust evidence that contradicts you may win you a debate in the eyes of the general public. But in the scientific realm, the evidence has already decided the matter, and 5/6ths of it is dark."