Cosmic construction
From matter to the Universe
Gas and dust → planets and stars → stellar systems → galaxies → large-scale structure.
Open sectionKOINOT · Astronomy and the Universe
Astronomy and the Universe
How matter is organized by gravity on large scales: planets, stars, stellar systems, galaxies, compact objects, and the evolving Universe.
1Building blocks
2Interactions
3Organization
4Open questions
Stellar physics
Birth, life and death of stars
Gravity compresses gas; nuclear reactions power stars; mass largely determines their later evolution.
Open sectionCosmic chemistry
Origin of the elements
The early Universe, stellar fusion and neutron-capture processes create the chemical elements.
Open sectionScales
From atom to Universe
The same physical laws connect structures over an enormous range of characteristic sizes.
Open sectionCompact objects
Relativistic collapse
A domain where KOINOT presents the standard picture and the Z. Zakir’s interpretation side by side.
Open sectionCosmology
The Universe as a whole
Expansion, cosmic history, formation of structure, and the major open questions of cosmology.
Open section