Scale of the Universe
Drag one slider from quantum foam to the cosmic web, with every object in between labelled at its true size.
Opens in a new tab. We do not control this site and it may have changed since we catalogued it.
How to get the most from it
Scale of the Universe sits in Space & Scale under Learn, filed as a minute.
- Give it one round. There is nothing to finish and nothing lost by leaving.
- It works on a phone or a desktop, so open it on whatever is nearest.
- It works with the sound off, so it is fine on a train or in a quiet office.
- No account needed — you can start without signing up.
- Go in expecting something mesmerising, brainy and nostalgic.
About this category: Space, deep time and the size of things. Every site here exists to give you the one thing a textbook diagram cannot: actual scale.
Good for
- A one-round break between tasks
- Watching something hypnotic for a while
- Giving your brain a workout
- A trip back to the older internet
- A quiet break at your desk
- Killing time on your phone
- Trying it with zero commitment
Scale of the Universe: quick answers
Is Scale of the Universe free?
Yes. Scale of the Universe is free to use and needs no account.
Do I need an account to use Scale of the Universe?
No. You can use Scale of the Universe without signing up for anything.
Does Scale of the Universe work on a phone?
Yes. Scale of the Universe works on phones as well as desktop browsers.
Is Scale of the Universe safe for work?
Yes, we file it as safe for work. It also works muted.
How long does Scale of the Universe take?
We file it as "A minute": One quick round, then you can leave.
More in Space & Scale
All 17 in Space & ScaleRide a lift from the ground to geostationary orbit, passing every layer of atmosphere and satellite on the way.
- 2 min
NASA's tracker for when the space station is visible from where you live, with sighting alerts by email.
- 2 min
The planetarium in a browser tab — set your location and it shows exactly what is above you right now.
- <1 min
Scroll outwards from a human to the observable universe, with each step making the previous one look absurd.
- 2 min
Same mood: mesmerising
All mesmerising sitesThousands of full-screen graphics experiments, each one a few hundred lines of maths you can read and edit live.
- 1 hr+
- Desktop
A full year of merchant shipping movements animated on one dark globe and split by cargo type, which turns global trade into a visible swarm.
- 10 min
- Desktop
A live feed of OpenStreetMap edits as they happen, zooming to each contributor's patch of the world one small correction at a time.
- <1 min
- Desktop
Enter any two articles and get every shortest path of links between them, drawn as a graph you can drag.
- 2 min
- Desktop
Keep exploring
Category
Time and mood
Have a site of your own? Suggest it for Detour or browse the AltFTool backlinks hub.