Home Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
universe
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Related Topics
Images & Videos
Examine the observable universe's place within the whole universe
Zoom out from Earth's solar system to the Milky Way Galaxy, the Local Group, and beyond
Study how Ptolemy tried to use deferents and epicycles to explain retrograde motion
Eratosthenes' method of measuring Earth's circumference
Examine Aristotle's model of the solar system and note its failure to explain phenomena like retrograde motion
See how Nicolaus Copernicus's heliocentric model replaced Aristotle's and Ptolemy's geocentric models
Galileo's telescopes photosphere of the Sun
Learn how Johannes Kepler challenged the Copernican system of planetary motion
Halley's Comet
For Students
universe summary
Quizzes
View of the Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31, M31).
Astronomy and Space Quiz
The orbits of the planets and other elements of the solar system, including asteroids, Kuiper belt, Oort cloud, comet
Space Odyssey
Ursa major constellation illustration art. (Big Dipper) stars, space, night sky)
Stars: Explosions in Space
Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.
All About Astronomy
Related Questions
Read Next
Spiral Galaxy type Sa-Sb or Sa/Sb in the constellation Virgo. The majestic Sombrero Galaxy Messier 104 (M104) or NGC 4594. The team took six pictures of the galaxy, stitched them together to create the final composite image. Photo from May-June 2003
9 Britannica Articles That Explain the Meaning of Life
Colorful winter sunset
What's the Difference Between a Solstice and an Equinox?
Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) new star formation. Satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. This galaxy is scattered with glowing nebulae, the most noticeable sign that new stars are being born.
Was the Big Bang Actually an Explosion?
Solar system illustration. (Sun; planets)
A Model of the Cosmos
Remarkable new details of Pluto's largest moon Charon are revealed in this image from New Horizons' Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), taken late on July 13, 2015 from a distance of 289,000 miles
Why Is Pluto No Longer a Planet?
Discover
Young men throw balloons and glitter from above the mosque at the celebration Eid Al-Fitr after prayers playing with balloons outside of Al-seddeeq mosque, Al-Mansourah, Egypt. 17 July 2015.
Eid al-Fitr
Washington DC.,USA, April 26, 1989. Supporters for and against legal abortion face off during a protest outside the United States Supreme Court Building during Webster V Health Services
Pro and Con: Abortion
Adolf Hitler (Nazi, nazism, German leader).
9 Things You Might Not Know About Adolf Hitler
Young boys working in a thread spinning mill in Macon, Georgia, 1909. Boys are so small they have to climb onto the spinning frame to reach and fix broken threads and put back empty bobbins. Child labor. Industrial revolution
The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution
Albert Einstein in Washington, D.C. c. 1921-1923. Physicist
The Solar Eclipse That Made Albert Einstein a Science Celebrity
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500.
10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci
General Pershing's troops moving into Mexico in 1917 during World War I.
Timeline of World War I
astronomy
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/science/universe
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/science/universe
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History
Eratosthenes' method of measuring Earth's circumference
Eratosthenes' method of measuring Earth's circumference
See all media
Category: Science & Tech
Key People:
James Peebles
Democritus
Sir Fred Hoyle
Pierre-Louis Moreau de Maupertuis
Saul Perlmutter
Related Topics:
star
eclipse
galaxy
Sun
gravity
See all related content →

Recent News

Apr. 11, 2024, 7:05 AM ET (The Indian Express)
Indian physicists remember Peter Higgs whose innovative work helped to have better understanding of Universe
Apr. 4, 2024, 11:38 PM ET (The Guardian)
New 3D cosmic map raises questions over future of universe, scientists say
Mar. 19, 2024, 11:42 PM ET (MSN)
New Research Suggests That Our Universe Has No Dark Matter

universe, the whole cosmic system of matter and energy of which Earth, and therefore the human race, is a part. Humanity has traveled a long road since societies imagined Earth, the Sun, and the Moon as the main objects of creation, with the rest of the universe being formed almost as an afterthought. Today it is known that Earth is only a small ball of rock in a space of unimaginable vastness and that the birth of the solar system was probably only one event among many that occurred against the backdrop of an already mature universe. This humbling lesson ...(100 of 4604 words)

Access the full article
Help support true facts by becoming a member.