13.8 billion years ago
The Big Bang
The universe begins in an infinitely hot, dense state and rapidly expands. All matter, energy, space, and time originate from this singular event.
380,000 years after
First Light
The universe cools enough for atoms to form. Light can finally travel freely through space, creating the cosmic microwave background radiation we detect today.
200 million years after
First Stars Ignite
The first generation of stars forms from primordial hydrogen and helium, ending the cosmic dark ages and beginning to forge heavier elements.
1 billion years after
First Galaxies Form
Gravity pulls matter together into the first galaxies. These early galaxies are smaller and more irregular than modern galaxies like our Milky Way.
9.2 billion years after
Our Solar System Forms
A cloud of gas and dust collapses to form our Sun and the planets. Earth forms as a molten ball that will eventually cool and develop conditions for life.
10.2 billion years after
Life Emerges on Earth
The first simple life forms appear in Earth's oceans. Over billions of years, life evolves from single cells to complex organisms.
13.799 billion years after
Humans Appear
Modern humans evolve and begin to understand the cosmos. We develop technology to observe the universe and uncover its history.
Today
The Observable Universe
The universe continues to expand at an accelerating rate. We can observe approximately 93 billion light-years across, containing over 2 trillion galaxies.
