cosmology

Astronomy

From the birth of stars to the expansion of the universe — explore the cosmos through interactive simulations of stellar physics and cosmology.

astronomystarsgalaxiescosmologyexoplanetsdark matterHubble

Astronomy is humanity's oldest science and perhaps its most humbling. We are tiny creatures on a small planet orbiting an ordinary star in one of hundreds of billions of galaxies. Yet through physics and mathematics, we can understand the life cycles of stars, detect planets around distant suns, and measure the expansion of the universe itself.

These simulations bring the cosmos to your screen. Watch a star evolve from birth to death, detect exoplanets by their shadows, trace the evidence for dark matter in galaxy rotation curves, and witness the expansion of the universe that Hubble discovered in 1929.

6 interactive simulations

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Cosmic Microwave Background

Explore the cosmic microwave background radiation — the oldest light in the universe — and its blackbody spectrum that reveals conditions moments after the Big Bang.

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Exoplanet Transit Detection

Simulate how astronomers detect exoplanets by measuring the tiny dip in starlight as a planet crosses in front of its host star.

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Galaxy Rotation Curves & Dark Matter

Visualize how galaxy rotation curves deviate from Newtonian predictions, providing compelling evidence for dark matter halos surrounding galaxies.

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Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

Explore the HR diagram — the astronomer's most powerful tool. Plot hundreds of stars by temperature and luminosity, and watch how cluster age determines the main sequence turnoff point.

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Hubble's Law & Universe Expansion

Explore how galaxies recede faster with distance, revealing the expansion of the universe through Hubble's Law and the cosmological redshift.

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Star Life Cycle

Watch a star evolve from birth to death. Adjust mass and metallicity to see how different stars live, age, and ultimately end as white dwarfs, neutron stars, or black holes.