The Scale of the Universe gives you one slider and a very large range. Drag it and the view zooms through everything that has a size: from the tiniest particles at one end, up through atoms, cells, people, mountains and planets, all the way to the whole observable universe at the other. Objects are labeled as you pass them, and clicking one gives you a short note.
It is a lovely way to feel how many orders of magnitude exist. Moving from a grain of dust to a galaxy takes only a few seconds of dragging, and yet the in-between space is staggering. The site credits Cary Huang as the original creator, with a later remaster by others.
There is audio recommended in the intro, and the site shows ads. It is quietly humbling and takes about five minutes. The older version is at /site/scale-of-the-universe-2, and more of this sort of thing lives in /category/science-space.
Tips for getting the most out of it
- Turn on audio when prompted; the site recommends it.
- Click objects along the way to read their details.
- Drag slowly near the extremes for the biggest sense of scale.
Questions about The Scale of the Universe
What is The Scale of the Universe?
It is an interactive zooming page where you drag a slider to move from the smallest known particles up to the whole observable universe, with objects labeled along the way. It was originally created by Cary Huang. Plan on about 5 min.
Is there more than one Scale of the Universe?
Yes. There is a later remastered version at scaleofuniverse.com and the earlier Scale of the Universe 2 at htwins.net, which we list separately. They cover similar ground, with different interfaces and objects. Plan on about 5 min. It works on phones. You can find it at scaleofuniverse.com, and we check the link daily.
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