The electroweak epoch was a brief but crucial period in the early universe when the electromagnetic and weak nuclear forces were unified, until cooling triggered symmetry breaking. This article explains its timing, physics, and place in the cosmic timeline, from the Planck epoch to structure formation.
The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is the oldest light in the universe, a faint glow left over from the Big Bang. This article explores its origin, the cosmic epochs it reveals, and how it shapes our understanding of the universe’s evolution.
The last scattering surface is the sphere of light emitted about 380,000 years after the Big Bang, when the universe cooled enough for electrons and protons to form neutral hydrogen. This cosmic relic, observed as the cosmic microwave background, provides a snapshot of the infant universe and anchors our understanding of cosmic evolution from the Planck epoch to the present day.
How three pioneering space missions turned the cosmic microwave background into a precision map of the infant universe, from COBE’s first detection of primordial ripples to WMAP’s standard model and Planck’s high-resolution confirmation.
Explore the origin and evolution of the universe from the Planck epoch to the present day. This interactive reference covers cosmic inflation, the formation of the first elements, the cosmic microwave background, and the emergence of stars and galaxies, grounded in the Lambda-CDM model.
The first black holes emerged from the chaotic aftermath of the Big Bang, but their origins remain one of cosmology’s deepest puzzles. This guide explores the leading theories—light seeds from the first stars and heavy seeds from direct gas collapse—and places them in the full context of cosmic evolution, from the Planck epoch to the present day.
Explore the shape and evolution of the cosmos from the Planck epoch to today. Learn how the cosmic microwave background, inflation, and large-scale structure reveal a universe that is flat to within 0.4 percent—yet whose global topology remains unknown.
Cosmic reionization was the transformative period when ultraviolet light from the first stars and galaxies ionized the neutral hydrogen that filled the early universe, ending the cosmic dark ages and making space transparent to light. This article explores the full timeline from the Planck epoch to structure formation, the role of the cosmic microwave background, and the key missions that revealed this history.
The Big Bang theory is often misunderstood. This guide debunks common myths and explains the true origin and evolution of the universe, from the Planck epoch to the present day.
A cosmic horizon marks the boundary of what we can observe in an expanding universe. The particle horizon defines the edge of the observable universe, while the event horizon sets the limit of future observations. This guide explains the concept and traces the cosmic epochs from the Planck era to structure formation.
