Cosmic latte
Encyclopedia
Cosmic latte is a name assigned to the average color of the universe
, given by a team of astronomers from Johns Hopkins University
.
and Ivan Baldry determined that the color of the universe was a greenish white, but they soon corrected their analysis in a 2002 paper, in which they reported that their survey of the color of all light in the universe added up to a slightly beige
ish white
. The survey included more than 200,000 galaxies
, and measured the spectral range of the light from a large volume of the universe. The hexadecimal
RGB value for Cosmic Latte is #FFF8E7.
The finding of the "color of the universe" was not the focus of the study, which was examining spectral analysis of different galaxies to study star
formation. Like Fraunhofer lines
, the dark lines displayed in the study's spectral ranges display older and younger stars and allow Glazebrook and Baldry to determine the age of different galaxies and star systems. What the study revealed is that the overwhelming majority of stars formed about 5 billion years ago. Because these stars would have been "brighter" in the past, the color of the universe changes over time shifting from blue to red as more blue stars change to yellow and eventually red giants.
Glazebrook's and Baldry's work was funded by the David & Lucille Packard Foundation.
As light from distant galaxies reaches the Earth, the average "color of the universe" (as seen from Earth) marginally increases towards pure white, due to the light coming from the stars when they were much younger and bluer.
The color was displayed in a Washington Post article. Glazebrook jokingly said that he was looking for suggestions for a name for the new color. Several people who read the article sent in suggestions. These were the results of a vote of the scientists involved based on the new color.
Though Drum's suggestion "Cappuccino Cosmico" received the most votes, Glazebrook and Baldry preferred Drum's other suggestion (Cosmic Latte). Drum came up with the name while sitting at a Starbucks
coffee house drinking a latte
and reading the Post. Drum noticed that the color of the Universe as displayed in the Washington Post was the same color as his latte.
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
, given by a team of astronomers from Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
.
Discovery of the color
In 2001, Karl GlazebrookKarl Glazebrook
Karl Glazebrook, an Anglo-Australian astronomer, is known for his work on galaxy formation, for playing a key role in developing the nod and shuffle technique for doing spectroscopy with large telescopes, and for originating the Perl Data Language...
and Ivan Baldry determined that the color of the universe was a greenish white, but they soon corrected their analysis in a 2002 paper, in which they reported that their survey of the color of all light in the universe added up to a slightly beige
Beige
Beige may be described as an off tan color or an extremely pale brown color.The term originates from beige cloth, a cotton fabric left undyed in its natural color...
ish white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
. The survey included more than 200,000 galaxies
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
, and measured the spectral range of the light from a large volume of the universe. The hexadecimal
Hexadecimal
In mathematics and computer science, hexadecimal is a positional numeral system with a radix, or base, of 16. It uses sixteen distinct symbols, most often the symbols 0–9 to represent values zero to nine, and A, B, C, D, E, F to represent values ten to fifteen...
RGB value for Cosmic Latte is #FFF8E7.
The finding of the "color of the universe" was not the focus of the study, which was examining spectral analysis of different galaxies to study star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
formation. Like Fraunhofer lines
Fraunhofer lines
In physics and optics, the Fraunhofer lines are a set of spectral lines named for the German physicist Joseph von Fraunhofer . The lines were originally observed as dark features in the optical spectrum of the Sun....
, the dark lines displayed in the study's spectral ranges display older and younger stars and allow Glazebrook and Baldry to determine the age of different galaxies and star systems. What the study revealed is that the overwhelming majority of stars formed about 5 billion years ago. Because these stars would have been "brighter" in the past, the color of the universe changes over time shifting from blue to red as more blue stars change to yellow and eventually red giants.
Glazebrook's and Baldry's work was funded by the David & Lucille Packard Foundation.
As light from distant galaxies reaches the Earth, the average "color of the universe" (as seen from Earth) marginally increases towards pure white, due to the light coming from the stars when they were much younger and bluer.
Naming of the color
| The original and incorrect color thought to describe the universe was "cosmic turquoise" due to an error in the way that the software used had calculated the shade. |
The color was displayed in a Washington Post article. Glazebrook jokingly said that he was looking for suggestions for a name for the new color. Several people who read the article sent in suggestions. These were the results of a vote of the scientists involved based on the new color.
| Color Name | Credit | Number of votes from JHU astronomers |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmic Latte | Peter Drum | 6 |
| Cappuccino Cosmico | Peter Drum | 17 |
| Big Bang Buff/Blush/Beige | Many entrants | 13 |
| Cosmic Cream | Several entrants | 8 |
| Astronomer Green | Unknown | 8 |
| Astronomer Almost | Lisa Rose | 7 |
| Skyvory | Michael Howard | 7 |
| Univeige | Several entrants | 6 |
| Cosmic Khaki | Unknown | 5 |
| Primordial Clam Chowder | Unknown | 4 |
Though Drum's suggestion "Cappuccino Cosmico" received the most votes, Glazebrook and Baldry preferred Drum's other suggestion (Cosmic Latte). Drum came up with the name while sitting at a Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
coffee house drinking a latte
Latte
A latte is a coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk. Variants include replacing the coffee with another drink base such as masala chai, mate or matcha...
and reading the Post. Drum noticed that the color of the Universe as displayed in the Washington Post was the same color as his latte.
External links
- The Cosmic Spectrum Official project website