The universe is not black in colour! According to scientists, the universe’s actual colour is “Cosmic Latte.”

The colour of the universe is a cosmic latte.

The night sky appears to be completely dark with a scattering of bright stars. Many people assume that the universe must be dark because of this common perspective. However, astronomers have posed a different query: what would the universe’s colour be if all of the light from every star and galaxy were merged into a single shadow? This precise computation was performed in 2002 by a group of astronomers, who arrived at a startling conclusion. They have lovingly dubbed this shade “Cosmic Latte” because the average colour of light from the universe is very light beige rather than black. The findings came from analysing observations of hundreds of thousands of galaxies. The researchers measured all the visible light emitted by these galaxies and combined it into a “cosmic spectrum”. When that spectrum was converted into a single visible colour using standard colour science methods, the result was a creamy off-white tone. It represents the true average of all visible light from the universe, not how one would see the sky from Earth. The name “Cosmic Latte” may sound silly, but it’s based on actual scientific research. This average colour can help astronomers learn about larger features of the universe and how the brightness of all the stars has changed over time. It also shows how the light we see from distant galaxies changes depending on the age and type of star.

Astronomers calculate the average colour of the universe by analysing data from various galaxies.

In the early 2000s, astronomers Carl Glazebrook and Ivan Baldry led a project using data from the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey, one of the largest all-sky surveys of visible galaxies conducted up to that time. The survey mapped light from more than 200,000 galaxies in the sky, measuring the brightness of light at different wavelengths. Scientists did not look at each galaxy in isolation. Instead, they put all this information together to create a spectrum of light that can be seen across the universe. This is the cosmic spectrum, and it reflects all the light emitted from stars, gas, and other things in the universe. After scientists put together the cosmic spectrum, they used computer programs and colour-matching methods to convert it into a colour that people can see. The final colour is light beige with code #FFF8E7. This number comes from standard digital colour systems and allows Cosmic Latte to be used in graphics and educational materials.

Why is the universe not black even though space looks dark?

It may seem strange to say that the universe has one colour when space appears dark. This is because of how we define colour and how our eyes see light. Most of the sky has no visible light sources, so space appears black. Photons from distant stars and galaxies are too faint to see without a telescope. But scientists don’t find darkness when they add up all the light that can be seen from every luminous object in the universe. There are different types of light in the electromagnetic spectrum, but visible light is the only light that people can see. By combining the visible wavelengths of stars of all ages and types, scientists were able to create a composite colour. Cosmic Latte is beige-white, meaning it contains light from both young blue stars and older red or yellow stars. This average colour has changed over cosmic time. Early in the history of the universe, massive, short-lived blue stars dominated the light emission. As those stars aged and faded and longer-lived red and yellow stars became common, the average light shifted slightly toward longer wavelengths, making today’s average colour warmer.

The science behind the name “Cosmic Latte”

After calculating the average colour, the research team conducted an informal survey to choose a name. Options included delectable suggestions like Cappuccino Cosmico, Big Bang Beige and Skyvorrie. The name Cosmic Latte won out because it closely represented the creamy, light colour generated by the calculations. According to reports, the term caught people’s attention and has since been used by NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day project, science outlets, and textbooks to describe the average colour of the universe. Adopting a familiar coffee context makes it easier for readers and students to visualise this otherwise abstract scientific result.

What does it tell us about the universe

It’s not just interesting that the colour of the universe is average. This helps scientists trace how light from stars spreads across the universe over time. The cosmic spectrum tells us about the age, number and evolution of stars. As massive stars die out and are replaced by cooler stars, the overall light signature of the universe changes. The Cosmic Latte doesn’t change how the universe looks to someone on Earth, but it does show how stars have formed and how the mix of light has changed over billions of years. It shows how astronomical data can give us new information about the entire universe by looking at a familiar question in a new way.