Scientists Recreate the Universe’s First Two Billion Years in Detail

WHO:

Science Daily - Smithsonian scientists created the Lumina simulation.

CNET - The Lumina Project is intended to let scientists test theories and predictions about the cosmos’s origins.

WHAT:

Science Daily - Lumina is described as one of the largest and most detailed simulations of the early universe ever made.

Science Daily - The simulation recreates the universe’s first 2 billion years.

Science Daily - Lumina depicts interactions among dark matter, gas, and radiation that gave rise to the earliest stars, galaxies, and black holes.

CNET - The Lumina Project spans 2 billion years and will allow scientists to test theories and predictions about the origins of the cosmos.

WHEN:

Science Daily - The simulation covers the universe’s first 2 billion years.

CNET - The project spans 2 billion years.

WHY:

Science Daily - Lumina offers a glimpse into the cosmos shortly after the Big Bang.

CNET - The project is designed to help scientists test theories and predictions about the origins of the cosmos.

HOW:

Science Daily - The simulation models interactions among dark matter, gas, and radiation.

CNET - The project uses a simulation spanning 2 billion years to support testing theories and predictions.

(UPDATED October 27, 2026 13:26 UTC)

Smithsonian scientists have created Lumina, one of the largest and most detailed simulations of the early universe ever made. It recreates the first 2 billion years after the Big Bang, modeling how dark matter, gas, and radiation interacted to give rise to the earliest stars, galaxies, and black holes. The project gives scientists a way to test theories and predictions about the origins of the cosmos.