Universe

Cosma / Communication / Knowledge / Realm / Physical / Universe
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universe : a distinct field or province of thought or reality that forms a closed system or self-inclusive and independent organization — Merriam-Webster See also OneLook

space : a boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction — Merriam-Webster See also OneLook

Thesaurus

Unified Astronomy Thesaurus (American Astronomical Society)

Roget’s II (Thesaurus.com), Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, Visuwords

Encyclopedia

Universe is all of space and time[a] and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. According to this theory, space and time emerged together 13.787±0.020 billion years ago, and the universe has been expanding ever since. While the spatial size of the entire universe is unknown, it is possible to measure the size of the observable universe, which is approximately 93 billion light-years in diameter at the present day. — Wikipedia

Universe (Encyclopædia Britannica)

Universe (COSMOS: The SAO Encyclopedia of Astronomy)

Universe (Wolfram Alpha)

Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum known as spacetime. The concept of space is considered to be of fundamental importance to an understanding of the physical universe. However, disagreement continues between philosophers over whether it is itself an entity, a relationship between entities, or part of a conceptual framework. — Wikipedia

Space (Encyclopædia Britannica)

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Adventures

Explore related posts on Cosma …

Exoplanet Junket - This week NASA released a new project that they’ve dubbed the Exoplanet Travel Bureau. The core of the project consists of a set of interactive 360° images that show “imagined” surfaces of five exoplanets (TRAPPIST-1e, Kepler-16b, Kepler-186f, PSO J318.5-22 and HD 40307 g). Here are three articles about the experience. This Brilliant Interactive From NASA … Continue reading Exoplanet Junket
Great Views of Earth - April 22nd is Earth Day! In honor of that, here are some great ways to see the honoree. First, you can get a nice view from this neat 360° Video from Seeker. It essentially shows you what it would feel like if you could just fly straight up and see the Earth from space. Seeker … Continue reading Great Views of Earth
Moon’scapes - There’s no denying that it’s been a rough week for many Earthlings. On the other hand, it’s been a great week for anyone who spends their time more preoccupied with the Moon than with more earthly concerns. That’s because there’s a treasure trove of news about our lunar realm. For example, NASA’s Goddard Media Studios … Continue reading Moon’scapes
Perspectives on Earth - Last week NASA released this fascinating video entitled Our Living Planet based upon 20 years of data from satellites that observe all plant life at the surface of the land and ocean. NASA Goddard (YouTube Channel) Goddard Space Flight Center (Official Website) You can find out more about the video from this article. The Changing … Continue reading Perspectives on Earth
September is Corny! - Have you ever noticed that most months tend to be associated with certain adjectives. October is spooky, December is festive, and so on … I think of September as corny! One obvious reason for this is because it’s when corn is harvested and readily available. Another reason is because September is usually the month of … Continue reading September is Corny!
Space Cadet Academy - Confession — I’m a major space cadet! I mean this in an older, positive sense of the word, which is that I’m a “space enthusiast.” That’s why I really get into updating the pages on Cosma having to do with space. Things got a little out of hand this time, though. I began just like … Continue reading Space Cadet Academy
Touch the Sun - Remember how Icarus wanted to touch the Sun, but met his demise instead? Well, scientists at NASA wanted to touch the Sun too, but unlike Icarus, they succeeded! Better yet, they are beginning to share what they learned by doing it! Before we get into all of that, let’s go back and start at the … Continue reading Touch the Sun
TRAPPIST-1 - You’ve probably heard that NASA has found a trove of “Earth-like” planets circling the TRAPPIST-1 system roughly 40 light years away, but just in case you haven’t, here’s a short video from NASA/JPL about the discovery. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (YouTube Channel) NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Official Website) Most entertainingly, here’s a 360° YouTube video … Continue reading TRAPPIST-1
Umbraphiles - umbraphile : One who loves eclipses, often travelling to see them. You’ve probably heard about the April 8th solar eclipse (Wikipedia), and if you live near the path of totality, then you’ve probably also seen news stories like this one. Party in the Path of Totality at These Solar Eclipse Getaways Across New England (Kristi … Continue reading Umbraphiles

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Exploration

Touch the 360° image to begin exploring, touch the objects and doors to enter virtual 360° experiences, and touch “i”s to learn about the experiences.

If you can’t see it, or it isn’t working, you can also see it directly on Kuula.

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Inspiration²

The simulation below gives us an idea of what the Universe might look like on the largest scales. Stars form into galaxies, galaxies into clusters, and clusters into superclusters, which are represented by the brightest blue points. Between the clusters and superclusters exists the “Cosmic Web”, spindly filaments of galactic material and dark matter which stretch across the otherwise empty chasms. — European Southern Observatory

Note: This is a 360° Video — press and hold to explore it!

European Southern Observatory (YouTube Channel)
European Southern Observatory (Official Website)

Blueprints of the Universe (European Southern Observatory)

Hubble Skymap puts the night sky at your fingertips any time of day. Roam the Milky Way to find a selection of galaxies, stars, and nebulae as seen by Hubble. To explore the skymap, scroll, double click, or pinch/swipe to zoom in and out. Roll over an icon to see the object, click to zero in, and click again for a detailed view and a description. Drag the map to navigate. — Hubble Skymap (NASA Science)

Hubble Skymap (NASA Science)

AAS WorldWide Telescope is a tool for showcasing astronomical data and knowledge brought to you by the American Astronomical Society. Users are able to navigate the sky by panning and zooming, or explore the 3D universe, viewing both visual imagery and scientific data (academic papers, etc.) about that area and the objects in it. Data is curated from hundreds of different sources, and it enables the visualization and sharing of scientific data and stories from major telescopes, observatories, and institutions among students and researchers.

AAS WorldWide Telescope (YouTube Channel)
AAS WorldWide Telescope (Official Website)

AAS WorldWide Telescope (Web Client)
Learn About WorldWide Telescope (YouTube Playlist)
WorldWide Telescope (Wikipedia)

ViewSpace: Explore the Universe with Interactives and Videos (Space Telescope Science Institute)
ViewSpace: Discover the Universe Interactives (Space Telescope Science Institute)
ViewSpace: Discover the Universe Videos (Space Telescope Science Institute)

Tycho Brahe Planetarium (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Tycho Brahe Planetarium (Astronomy)
Tycho Brahe Planetarium (Wikipedia)
Tycho Brahe (Wikipedia)

Adler Planetarium (Chicago, IL)
Adler Planetarium (YouTube Channel)
Adler Planetarium (Wikipedia)

Planetarium Hamburg (Hamburg, Germany)
Planetarium Hamburg (Virtual Tour)
Planetarium Hamburg (Wikipedia)

Planetarium Stuttgart (Stuttgart, Germany)
Planetarium Stuttgart (Virtual Tour)

Night Skys: Panoramas of Night Sky and the Milky Way (Kuula, 360° Virtual Tours)

Astrum (YouTube Channel)

Talks about the Universe (TED: Ideas Worth Spreading)
Articles about the Universe (Big Think)

Big Idea: Astronomical Phenomena Can be Experienced in Our Daily Lives (Big Ideas in Astronomy, International Astronomical Union)
Big Idea: The Night Sky is Rich and Dynamic (Big Ideas in Astronomy, International Astronomical Union)

Great Debates in Astronomy (Robert Nemiroff & Jerry Bonnell)

Space Quotes (BrainyQuote)

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Innovation

Science

Astronomy is a science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. More generally, astronomy studies everything that originates beyond Earth’s atmosphere. — Wikipedia

Astronomy (Encyclopædia Britannica)

Universe (NASA Science)

Astronomy (Eric Weisstein’s World of Astronomy, Wolfram Research)
Space & Astronomy (Wolfram Alpha)

Introduction to Astronomy (Wolfgang H. Berger, University of California, San Diego)

History and Origin of the Universe Videos (ViewSpace, Space Telescope Science Institute)
Structure of the Universe Videos (ViewSpace, Space Telescope Science Institute)

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space (SciShow, YouTube Playlist)
SciShow Space (YouTube Channel)

Entrepreneurship

Astronomy Campaigns (Kickstarter)

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Preservation

History

Astronomy is the oldest of the natural sciences, dating back to antiquity, with its origins in the religious, mythological, cosmological, calendrical, and astrological beliefs and practices of prehistory: vestiges of these are still found in astrology, a discipline long interwoven with public and governmental astronomy. In some cultures, astronomical data was used for astrological prognostication. — Wikipedia

The New Astronomy (Crash Course History of Science, YouTube Video)

Best of: Space Exploration (The History Guy, YouTube Video)

Royal Astronomical Society
Royal Astronomical Society (Objectivity, YouTube Playlist)
Space-related Objects (Objectivity, YouTube Playlist)

Astronomy and World Heritage Thematic Initiative (UNESCO World Heritage Convention)
Principal Themes in Astronomical Heritage (Portal to the Heritage of Astronomy, UNESCO)

Historical Astronomy Division (American Astronomical Society)

Historical Astronomy (Astronomy Center, ComPADRE)

Astronomy and Astrophysics History (NASA’s History Office)

Astronomy (World History Encyclopedia)

Museum

Herschel Museum of Astronomy (Bath, England)
Herschel Museum of Astronomy (Wikipedia)
Herschel Society (Website)
Herschel Society (YouTube Channel)
William Herschel (Wikipedia)

Explore Astronomy (National Air and Space Museum)
Astronomy Online Exhibitions (Smithsonian)

Library

DDC: 520 Astronomy (Library Thing)
Subject: Astronomy (Library Thing)

DDC: 523.1 Universe (Library Thing)
Subject: Universe (Library Thing)

Subject: Astronomy (Open Library)
Subject: Universe (Open Library)

LCC: QB Astronomy (UPenn Online Books)
LCC: QB 981 Universe (UPenn Online Books)

LCC: QB Astronomy (Library of Congress)
Subject: Astronomy (Library of Congress)

LCC: QB 981 Universe (Library of Congress)
Subject: Universe (Library of Congress)

Subject: Astronomy (WorldCat)
Subject: Universe (WorldCat)

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Participation

How to Participate in Astronomy Research (International Astronomical Union)

Astronomy Citizen Projects (Zooniverse: People-Powered Research)

World Space Week, October 4-10 (United Nations)

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Expression

WB Kids (YouTube Channel)

NASAJPL Edu (YouTube Channel)
NASA JPL Edu (Official Website)

Humor

Humor and Astronomy (Andrew Fraknoi, Astronomical Society of the Pacific)

Poem

OEDILF: The Omnificent English Dictionary In Limerick Form

Music

Music Inspired by Astronomy (Andrew Fraknoi, Astronomical Society of the Pacific)

Recent Space News from Phys.org …

Just 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang,...
on May 26, 2026 at 1:00 pm
A large protocluster of galaxies that existed 12.6 billion years ago, first discovered with the Subaru Telescope, has been examined in detail using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The study found that galaxies in crowded regions are more extended than similar galaxies in less dense environments. The results, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters , show that even when the universe was only 1.2 billion years old, environment was already influencing how galaxies grow.
Mercury's water ice may have been deposited by a...
on May 26, 2026 at 12:20 pm
The source of the significant water ice deposits hidden in Mercury's polar regions has been a topic of debate among researchers. A new study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, suggests that these deposits were accumulated in only one Mercurian day (176 Earth days) by a large impactor, such as a comet or asteroid. While previous studies have suggested a similar scenario, this is the first study to fully model the impact. Furthermore, these new models suggest that the […]
Triply-eclipsing triple star system discovered...
on May 26, 2026 at 11:30 am
Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), astronomers have discovered a triply-eclipsing star system. The newfound system, designated TIC 295741342, consists of two sun-like stars in an eclipsing binary and a giant tertiary companion, which orbits the binary. The finding was reported in a paper published May 19 on the arXiv pre-print server.
How Mars can help us understand 'marginal'...
on May 26, 2026 at 11:00 am
Mars holds a special place in the solar system. It represents marginal habitability. This means it transitioned from warm and wet and potentially hospitable, to cold and dry and inhospitable.
Supermassive black holes can render exoplanets...
on May 25, 2026 at 10:00 pm
The thinking around exoplanet habitability is mostly concerned with a planet's distance from its star. Too close, and any surface water is boiled away into space. Too far, and surface water is frozen. Both are severe limits on the prospects for life. Habitability depends on an exoplanet being in the Goldilocks Zone, a distance range around a star where liquid water can persist.

Recent Astronomy News from Science Daily …

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft uses Mars as a giant...
on May 26, 2026 at 6:11 am
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft just used Mars as a giant gravitational slingshot to continue its journey toward a strange metal rich asteroid. The close flyby boosted the spacecraft’s speed by about 1,000 mph while also producing rare crescent images of Mars glowing through its dusty atmosphere.
Scientists discover a giant “planet factory”...
on May 26, 2026 at 5:48 am
Scientists believe a dust-filled ring just outside Jupiter acted like a cosmic “planetesimal factory,” producing multiple generations of early space rocks with very different compositions. The discovery may finally explain the origins of several mysterious meteorite types that have survived since the birth of the Solar System.
Massive supercomputer simulations unlock cosmic...
on May 26, 2026 at 5:32 am
Scientists used some of the most advanced plasma simulations ever created to uncover how the universe builds enormous magnetic fields out of turbulence. The discovery could reshape our understanding of stars, black holes, neutron star collisions, and dangerous solar eruptions.
Scientists may have found the source of the most...
on May 24, 2026 at 10:56 am
A mysterious particle from deep space has scientists buzzing after the most energetic neutrino ever detected slammed through the Mediterranean Sea. Now, researchers think they may have identified the cosmic “culprits” behind it: blazars — supermassive black holes blasting jets of matter straight toward Earth.
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft captures stunning Mars...
on May 23, 2026 at 12:18 pm
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft skimmed past Mars in a precision flyby that helped catapult it deeper into space toward its ultimate target: the bizarre metal-rich asteroid Psyche. During the encounter, it snapped detailed images of heavily cratered Martian terrain, including the striking double-ring Huygens crater. The flyby gave the spacecraft a critical gravity boost without using extra fuel.

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Related

Here are links to pages about closely related subjects.

Knowledge Realm

Physical

“Fundamentals”
Law (Constant) Relativity
Force Gravity, Electromagnetism (Light, Color)
Matter (Microscope) Molecule, Atom (Periodic Table), Particle

“Space”
Universe (Astronomical Instrument)
Galaxy Milky Way, Andromeda
Planetary System Star, Brown Dwarf, Planet, Moon

Our Neighborhood
Solar System Sun
Terrestrial Planet Mercury, Venus, Earth (Moon), Mars
Asteroid Belt Ceres, Vesta
Jovian Planet Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Trans-Neptunian Object
Kuiper Belt Pluto, Haumea, Makemake
Scattered Disc Eris, Sedna, Planet X
Oort Cloud Etc. Scholz’s Star
Small Body Comet, Centaur, Asteroid

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Notes

1. The resources on this page are are organized by a classification scheme developed exclusively for Cosma.

2. The initial inspiration for the “astronomy” related pages was content encountered in the course PHYS 160 Exploring the Astrophysical World (taught by Thomas J. Moffett) at Purdue University. More content was added while designing and teaching Astronomy and Young Astronauts for gifted students in the Super Saturday/Summer program offered through the Purdue Gifted Education Resource Institute. The content has then been updated regularly since then.

Universe

Introduction¹

Dictionary

Thesaurus

Encyclopedia

Adventures

Exploration

Inspiration²

Innovation

Science

Technology

Commerce

Entrepreneurship

Preservation

History

Museum

Library

Participation

Education

Course

Community

Occupation

Organization

News

Book

Government

Expression

Humor

Toy

Arts

Poem

Music

Recent Space News from Phys.org …

Recent Astronomy News from Science Daily …