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 …

French astronaut to fly to commercial space...
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'Mini-Neptune' exoplanets may have smoggy...
on June 2, 2026 at 4:20 pm
The astronauts circling Earth on the Artemis mission sent back beautiful clear photos of the continents, clouds, and oceans. But we might be the exception. Many planets in the universe may be hazed in clouds of soot, according to a new study by University of Chicago scientists. Their analysis explains a curious trend seen by astronomers training telescopes on distant planets beyond our own solar system. Many of these worlds had atmospheres that returned strangely featureless readings.
Blue Origin says rocket explosion spared fuel...
on June 2, 2026 at 3:10 pm
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin said Tuesday that last week's rocket explosion spared fuel tanks and some other critical parts of the launch pad.
For satellites as small as a briefcase, getting...
on June 2, 2026 at 2:00 pm
MIT engineers are testing a new propulsion system that combines the power and speed of conventional chemical thrusters with the precision and fuel-efficiency of electrical thrusters. The system could enable the design of nimbler, more flexible small satellites, which could perform both fast, powerful maneuvers and slower, precise adjustments, depending on the mission and moment at hand.
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Astronomers monitoring a nearby active galaxy for six years have watched its supermassive black hole dramatically wake up, brightening by a factor of 10 across ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths. The paper outlining the study was posted to the preprint server arXiv on May 18.

Recent Astronomy News from Science Daily …

A stellar “Rosetta stone” reveals the source...
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Hubble captures M88 on a perilous journey that...
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NASA’s Roman telescope could reveal 100,000...
on June 1, 2026 at 11:04 am
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope could revolutionize the search for alien worlds by discovering around 100,000 exoplanets—far more than all previous missions combined. It will look deep into unexplored parts of the Milky Way, helping scientists compare planetary systems across very different galactic environments. The mission will also uncover rare Earth-sized planets, study thousands of exotic alien atmospheres, and provide a treasure trove of data that could reshape our understanding of how […]
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A decades-old mystery about Saturn has finally been solved thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope. Scientists discovered that Saturn’s changing “rotation rate” was never caused by the planet speeding up or slowing down, but by powerful winds high in its atmosphere. Webb’s unprecedented observations revealed that Saturn’s northern lights actively heat the atmosphere, creating winds that generate electrical currents, which then power the aurora all over again in a self-sustaining […]
Rogue planet moons could harbor alien life for...
on May 29, 2026 at 6:05 am
Scientists say moons around rogue planets wandering through the galaxy could remain warm enough for life thanks to tidal heating and hydrogen-rich atmospheres. These dark, starless worlds may have had stable oceans for billions of years — long enough for complex life to potentially emerge.

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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 …