FERMILAB COSMOLOGY RESEARCH | VIDEOS | ARTICLES | ACTIVITY
Fermilab cosmology research
Scientists do not know exactly what happened at the dawn of time (or if time even had a dawn), but they have a good understanding of how our universe evolved after its very first moments.
The baby universe was an opaque plasma of particles. When atoms formed, the universe became transparent for relic photons, which we can detect now as the cosmic microwave background. Scientists use these observations to learn about the fundamental parameters of our universe. The oldest light that permeates the universe, the cosmic microwave background provides unique information about the “seeds” of stars, galaxies and everything we see out in space today.
Strong evidence suggests that the dominant mass and energy in the universe is in the form of dark matter and dark energy. The motions of stars and galaxies can’t be explained unless dark matter and dark energy exist.
Videos
For more videos, check out the full Cosmology basic concepts playlist and more episodes of Space Adventures with a Neutrino.
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“Exploring 7 Billion Light Years of Space with the Dark Energy Survey” -
“What is the Cosmic Microwave Background?” -
“At the Edge of Time: Exploring the Mysteries of Our Universe’s First Seconds”
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Cosmology: basic concepts -
Space Adventures with a Neutrino: Learn about the fascinating history of our universe and how stars and galaxies were formed.
Symmetry Magazine articles
The following articles explore topics related to cosmology.
Symmetry is an online magazine about particle physics published in collaboration between Fermilab and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Subscribe today to stay up-to-date on the latest news and features.
Educational activity
Teachers are invited to download and use the following classroom activity developed by Zooniverse.
Dark Energy Explorers
Part of the Zooniverse collection of citizen science projects, Dark Energy Explorers identify distant galaxies to help measure dark energy.