About Cosmic Origins

How did we get here?

Answering this question is one of the key goals in NASA's Astrophysics Division, and is the main objective of its Cosmic Origins (COR) Program.

Here are some of the topics our work focuses on:

Stellar lifecycles and the evolution of the elements
Early formation and evolution of planetary systems
Archaeology of the Milky Way and its neighbors
History and evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes
First light and reionization

No one mission or observatory can provide all the answers. The Cosmic Origins Program includes telescopes that together operate across much of the electromagnetic spectrum. From the iconic Hubble Space Telescope’s groundbreaking science to the future discoveries awaiting us with the James Webb Space Telescope and more to come, Cosmic Origin's facilities help us in our search for answers to the biggest questions about our universe and its origins.

Featured Videos

XRISM Exploring the Hidden X-ray Cosmos Watch this video to learn more about XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission), a collaboration between JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and NASA. » Read More

Expansion Rate: The Hubble Tension In this video, Nobel Laureate Dr. Adam Riess explains this phenomenon known as “Hubble Tension,” and how important this mystery is to our understanding of the universe. » Read More

Mystery of Galaxy’s Missing Dark Matter Deepens. Finding a galaxy lacking the invisible stuff is an extraordinary claim that challenges conventional wisdom. It would have the potential to upset theories of galaxy formation and evolution. » Read More

A New Portrait of the Cosmos is Coming. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, formerly known as WFIRST, is an upcoming space telescope designed to perform wide-field imaging and spectroscopy of the infrared sky. One of the Roman Space Telescope's objectives will be looking for clues about dark energy — the mysterious force that is accelerating the expansion of the universe. » Read More

NASA | Swift: A Decade of Game-changing Astrophysics. Nov 20, 2014: Over the past decade, NASA's Swift Gamma-ray Burst Explorer has proven itself to be one of the most versatile astrophysics missions ever flown. It remains the only satellite capable of precisely locating gamma-ray bursts — the universe's most powerful explosions — and monitoring them across a broad range of wavelengths using multiple instruments before they fade from view. » Read More

TESS Mission's First Earth-size World in Star's Habitable-zone. NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has discovered its first Earth-size planet in its star's habitable zone, the range of distances where conditions may be just right to allow the presence of liquid water on the surface. Scientists confirmed the find, called TOI 700 d, using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and have modeled the planet's potential environments to help inform future observations. » Read More

First of Its Kind Detection Made in Striking New Webb Image

Alignment of bipolar jets confirms star formation theories. For the first time, a phenomenon astronomers have long hoped to directly image has been captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). In this stunning image of the Serpens Nebula, the discovery lies in the northern area (seen at the upper left) of this young, nearby star-forming region. Read more »

News

8 July 2024

Cosmic Origins Virtual Town Hall | July 10th, 2024, 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET

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Astrophysics Program Advisory Council (APAC) Meeting | July 23rd – 24th, 9:00am – 5:00pm ET

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Cosmic Pathfinders Program: Cosmic Chatter Series | Recordings

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Cosmic Origins Science Highlight | Alignment of Bipolar Jets Confirms Star Formation Theories

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