Planet Earth seen from space with clouds over Africa and Europe

COSMOS

Explore the infinite.

Discover the universe beyond imagination.

Explore the universe Discover cosmic stories

01The concept

A universe without limits.

COSMOS brings together astronomical knowledge, cinematic imagery, and free exploration — a single place to travel from the surface of Earth to the edge of the observable universe.

Read stories that explain how the universe works, browse the worlds of our Solar System, and wander destinations at your own pace. No fixed path. Only curiosity.

Wide view of a glowing nebula with dense star fields — Stellar nurseryArtistic visualization

02Destinations

Choose where to begin.

Five scales of the universe, from our home planet to the farthest light we can see.

01Origin

Earth

Begin at home — a living planet suspended in the dark, wrapped in a thin blue atmosphere.

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02Our neighbourhood

Solar System

Eight planets, countless moons, and a single star holding them all in orbit.

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03Beyond the planets

Deep Space

Nebulae, stellar nurseries, and the vast quiet between the stars.

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04Island universes

Galaxies

Spirals, ellipticals, and irregulars scattered across the cosmos in great clusters.

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05The edge of sight

Observable Universe

Everything light has had time to reach us since the beginning of cosmic time.

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03Latest discoveries

Stories from the cosmos.

View all stories

Sample editorial content — explainers based on established science, not breaking news.

Featured · Sample story

TechnologyOct 28, 20267 min

How infrared telescopes see the early universe

Light from the first galaxies has been stretched into the infrared by cosmic expansion. Here is why that matters for how we build observatories.

Read the story

Space ExplorationOct 21, 20265 min

What a rocket launch window really means

Launches are timed to the second for a reason. Orbital mechanics, target trajectories, and weather all decide when a rocket can fly.

MissionsOct 14, 20266 min

Living and working on a spacewalk

Extravehicular activity is among the most demanding tasks in human spaceflight. A look at the preparation behind every hour outside.

The shadow at the heart of a galaxy

Supermassive black holes sit at the centres of most large galaxies. How do astronomers study something that emits no light?

AstronomySep 30, 20266 min

Finding planets by the shadows they cast

The transit method has revealed thousands of worlds beyond our Solar System. It works by watching starlight dim, ever so slightly.

DiscoveriesSep 23, 20267 min

Why we keep sending rovers to Mars

Ancient river deltas, layered rock, and the question of past life keep Mars at the top of the exploration agenda.

ScienceSep 16, 20265 min

Reading the colours of a nebula

The vivid hues in nebula images map to specific chemical elements. Here is how astronomers translate light into composition.

04By the numbers

The scale of everything.

Measured facts about our universe. Each figure is a scientific estimate from the cited agency.

Age of the universe: 13.8billion years; Estimated from measurements of the cosmic microwave background.; Scientific fact · ESA Planck / NASA
Diameter of the observable universe: ~93billion light-years; Larger than 13.8 billion light-years because space has expanded while light travelled.; Scientific fact · NASA
Average Earth–Moon distance: 384,400km; Light covers this distance in about 1.3 seconds.; Scientific fact · NASA
One day on Venus: 243Earth days; Venus rotates so slowly that its day is longer than its 225-day year.; Scientific fact · NASA

Begin

The universe is waiting.

Your journey into the unknown begins here.

Start exploring