Blog 1

Imagine if the entire history of the universe could be squeezed into a single calendar year, providing a perspective of how much time has truly passed in this universe. Enter the cosmic calendar, a concept introduced by the astronomer Carl Sagan. Within the cosmic calendar, each month corresponds to over 1 billion years, allowing us to fully understand staggering age of the cosmos. To summarize and put things in simple terms, picture the Big Bang as the calendar’s January 1, and the emergence of Earth and life unfolding in the final moments of December 31. This detail, where life emerges in the final minutes of December 31st, emphasizes the recent appearance of humans relative to other events. As we move through the cosmic calendar, we witness the birth of stars, the formation of galaxies, and the unfolding drama of cosmic evolution over billions and billions of years.

Here are some more specifics, taken from the diagram below:

• Modern humans evolved with 8 minutes left in the cosmic calendar.
• The end of the last ice age came within the final minute of the cosmic calendar.
• The cold war came with JUST .2 seconds left.

It’s a simple reminder that our presence is just a brief moment in the immense cosmic story.

Image Source

astro2110, big bang, blog1, cosmic calendar, cosmic perspective, cosmic time, universe