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The Scale of the Universe

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The Scale of the Universe
Title screen of "The Scale of the Universe".
Title screen of the first edition
Developer(s)Cary Huang, Michael Huang
Composer(s)Kevin MacLeod, Cliff Martinez
EngineAdobe Flash
Platform(s)Web-based
Release2010
Genre(s)Edutainment

The Scale of the Universe is an interactive online visualization tool and website first created in 2010 by Cary and Michael Huang, two twin brothers from Moraga, California.[1][2][3][4][5] Released on Newgrounds and the Huang brothers' web page, it features a scrollbar that players can use to navigate through orders of magnitude and view various objects within such size ranges. Sliding the scrollbar to the left and right causes the screen to zoom in and out respectively, utilizing resolution independence in the process.[1]

In 2012, Cary and Michael Huang released a sequel titled The Scale of the Universe 2, in which clicking on objects brings up infoboxes that display information about them.[6][7][8]

The Scale of the Universe was featured on NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day on October 7, 2018.[9]

In 2020, animation studio Kurzgesagt released the app Universe in a Nutshell, which took inspiration from The Scale of the Universe.[10][11]

The main-belt asteroid 10003 Caryhuang was officially named by the International Astronomical Union on June 16, 2021, partly in recognition of Cary Huang's involvement in The Scale of the Universe.[2]

Objects measured

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Less than 1 meter

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Item Measurement given in The Scale of the Universe Measurement given in The Scale of the Universe 2
Quantum foam 9.3 × 10-36 meters
String (physics) 9.3 × 10-36 meters
Planck length 10-35 meters 1.6 × 10-35 meters
Yoctometer 10-24 meters 10-24 meters
Neutrino 10-24 meters 10-24 meters
Top quark 10-22 meters
Zeptometer 10-21 meters 10-21 meters
Preon 10-21 meters
High-energy radius of a neutrino (SOTU) / High-Energy Neutrino (SOTU 2) 10-21 meters 1.5 × 10-20 meters
Bottom quark 3 × 10-20 meters
Charm quark 10-19 meters
Strange quark 4 × 10-19 meters
Attometer 10-18 meters 10-18 meters
Up quark 10-18 meters
Down quark 10-18 meters
Quark 10-18 meters
Electron core 10-18 meters
Range of the weak force 10-17 meters
Lengths shorter than this are not confirmed 10-16 meters
Femtometer 10-15 meters 10-15 meters
Proton 10-15 meters 10-15 meters
Neutron 10-15 meters 10-15 meters
Helium nucleus 3 × 10-15 meters
Electron (classical) 5.64 × 10-15 meters
Chlorine nucleus 6 × 10-15 meters
Average size of an atom's nucleus 10-14 meters
Uranium nucleus 1.5 × 10-14 meters
Picometer 10-12 meters 10-12 meters
Gamma ray wavelength 10-12 meters 10-12 meters
Electron compton wavelength 2 × 10-12 meters
Helium atom 3.1 × 10-11 meters 2.5 × 10-11 meters
Hydrogen atom 2.5 × 10-11 meters 3.1 × 10-11 meters
Smallest thing visible to an electron microscope 5 × 10-11 meters
Angstrom 10-10 meters 10-10 meters
Sulfur atom 10-10 meters
Carbon atom 7 × 10-11 meters 1.6 × 10-10 meters
Water molecule 2.8 × 10-10 meters 2.8 × 10-10 meters
X-ray wavelength 5 × 10-12 meters 5 × 10-10 meters
Caesium atom 2.6 × 10-10 meters 5 × 10-10 meters
Width of a protein alpha helix 5 × 10-10 meters 8 × 10-10 meters
Glucose molecule 8 × 10-10 meters
Nanometer 10-9 meters 10-9 meters
Width of a carbon nanotube 10-9 meters 10-9 meters
Buckyball 10-9 meters
Smallest transistor gate of a microprocessor 2 × 10-9 meters
Phospholipid 2.5 × 10-9 meters
Thickness of DNA 3 × 10-9 meters 3 × 10-9 meters
Phospholipid bilayer 5 × 10-9 meters
Width of the cell membrane 10-8 meters
Porcine circovirus 1.7 × 10-8 meters
Transistor gate 2.5 × 10-8 meters
Hepatitis B virus 4.2 × 10-8 meters
Ultraviolet light wavelength 5 × 10-8 meters 6 × 10-8 meters
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) 9 × 10-8 meters 9 × 10-8 meters
Depth of a pit in a CD 1.2 × 10-7 meters
Smallest thing visible to an optical microscope 2 × 10-7 meters
Bacteriophage 2 × 10-7 meters
Violet light wavelength 3 × 10-7 meters 4 × 10-7 meters
Mimivirus 4 × 10-7 meters
Largest virus 5 × 10-7 meters 4.4 × 10-7 meters
Violet light wavelength 7 × 10-7 meters 7.5 × 10-7 meters
Micrometer 10-6 meters 10-6 meters
Smallest-sized particle surgical masks block out 10-6 meters
Y chromosome 1.5 × 10-6 meters
E. coli 10-6 meters 2 × 10-6 meters
Clay particle 10-6 meters 2 × 10-6 meters
X chromosome 4 × 10-6 meters
Mitochondrion 4 × 10-6 meters
Red blood cell 7 × 10-6 meters 7 × 10-6 meters
Cell nucleus 7 × 10-6 meters
Chloroplast 8 × 10-6 meters
White blood cell 10-5 meters 10-5 meters
Width of acrylic fiber 1.2 × 10-5 meters
Infrared light wavelength 10-5 meters 1.5 × 10-5 meters
Width of silk fiber 1.5 × 10-5 meters
Twip 1.76 × 10-5 meters
Mist/fog droplet (SOTU)
Mist droplet (SOTU 2)
10-5 meters 2 × 10-5 meters
Mil, point, or thou (SOTU)
Thou (SOTU 2)
2.5 × 10-5 meters 2.54 × 10-5 meters
Skin cell 3.5 × 10-5 meters
Pollen grain 5 × 10-5 meters
Silt particle 5 × 10-5 meters 5 × 10-5 meters
Smallest thing/object visible to the naked eye 10-4 meters 10-4 meters
Width of human hair 10-4 meters 10-4 meters
Human egg 2.5 × 10-4 meters 1.2 × 10-4 meters
Thickness of paper 10-4 meters 1.5 × 10-4 meters
Ciliate protist 2 × 10-4 meters
Paramecium 2 × 10-4 meters
Dust mite 3 × 10-4 meters
Computer pixel (SOTU)
LCD pixel (SOTU 2)
3 × 10-4 meters 3 × 10-4 meters
Amoeba 3.5 × 10-4 meters
Grain of salt 5 × 10-4 meters 5 × 10-4 meters
Grain of sand 10-3 meters 5 × 10-4 meters
Thickness of human skin (thinnest, eyelids) 5 × 10-4 meters
Thickness of a credit card 7 × 10-4 meters
Mechanical pencil lead (SOTU)
Pencil lead (SOTU 2)
7 × 10-4 meters (7 ± 2) × 10-4 meters
Largest bacteria 5 × 10-4 meters 7.5 × 10-4 meters
Millimeter 10-3 meters 10-3 meters
Duckweed 2 × 10-3 meters
Sesame seed 3 × 10-3 meters
Microchip 4 × 10-3 meters
Thickness of human skin (thickest, soles of feet) 4 × 10-3 meters
Ant 4 × 10-3 meters 4 × 10-3 meters
Sleet 5 × 10-3 meters 5 × 10-3 meters
Sunflower seed 7 × 10-3 meters
Grain of rice 8 × 10-3 meters 5 × 10-3 meters
Average size of a snowflake 10-2 meters
Coffee bean 10-2 meters 10-2 meters
Microwave wavelength 10-2 meters 10-2 meters
Hummingbird egg 1.2 × 10-2 meters
Glass marble 1.5 × 10-2 meters
U.S. penny 1.9 × 10-2 meters
Square inch 2.54 × 10-2 meters 2.5 × 10-2 meters
Quail egg 3 × 10-2 meters 3 × 10-2 meters
Common earthworm 4 × 10-2 meters 4 × 10-2 meters
Matchstick 5 × 10-2 meters
Rubik's cube 5.5 × 10-2 meters
Chicken egg 5.5 × 10-2 meters 5.5 × 10-2 meters
Hummingbird 10-1 meters
Shrew 10-1 meters
Cup 1.2 × 10-1 meters
Ostrich egg 1.5 × 10-1 meters
Approximate size of this viewport 2 × 10-1 meters
Largest hailstone 2 × 10-1 meters
Basketball 2.4 × 10-1 meters
Russell's teapot 2.5 × 10-1 meters
Inch ruler 3.1 × 10-1 meters 3 × 10-1 meters
Largest snowflake found 3.8 × 10-1 meters
Beach ball 5 × 10-1 meters (small)
1 meter (large)
8 × 10-1 meters

1 meter to 1 terameter

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Item Measurement given in The Scale of the Universe Measurement given in The Scale of the Universe 2
Meter 100 meters 100 meters
Meterstick 1 meter
Dodo bird 1 meter
Rafflesia 1 meter
FM radio wavelength 1 meter 1 meter
Human 1.7 meters 1.7 meters
Wandering albatross 2.3 meters
Floor to ceiling 2.5 meters
Sunflower 2.5 meters
Japanese spider crab 3 meters
Giant earthworm 7 meters 3 meters
Bubble car 4 meters
Elephant 5 meters
Giraffe 6 meters
Tyrannosaurus rex 7 meters
Green anaconda 8 meters
Apollo lunar module 9 meters
Bus 1.2 × 101 meters
Saguaro cactus 2 × 101 meters 1.4 × 101 meters
Average U.S. house 1.5 × 101 meters
Oak tree 2 × 101 meters 1.5 × 101 meters
Blue whale 3 × 101 meters
Amphilicoelias fragilimus 3 × 101 meters
Boeing 747 7 × 101 meters 6.5 × 101 meters
Redwood tree 1.1 × 102 meters 102 meters
International Space Station 1.08 × 102 meters
Football field 1.097 × 102 meters
Saturn V 1.1 × 102 meters
Great Pyramid of Giza 1.5 × 102 meters
Gateway Arch 1.92 × 102 meters
Hoover Dam 2.2 × 102 meters
Titanic 2.7 × 102 meters
Eiffel Tower 3.2 × 102 meters 3.2 × 102 meters
Half Dome 4.2 × 102 meters 4.1 × 102 meters
Sears Tower 4.42 × 102 meters
International Commerce Centre 4.84 × 102 meters
Vatican City 8 × 102 meters
Burj Khalifa 8.28 × 102 meters
Angel Falls 9.79 × 102 meters 9.8 × 102 meters
AM radio wavelength 102 meters 103 meters
Kilometer 103 meters 103 meters
Boeing Everett Factory 103 meters
Mile 1.609 × 103 meters
Stanford Linear Collider 3 × 103 meters
Uluru 3 × 103 meters
Central Park 4 × 103 meters
Cruithne 5 × 103 meters
Large Hadron Collider 8 × 103 meters
Palm Jebel Ali 8 × 103 meters
Mount Everest 8 × 103 meters 8 × 103 meters
Large Electron-Positron Collider 104 meters
Depth of the Mariana Trench 1.1 × 104 meters 104 meters
Halley's Comet 1.1 × 104 meters
Deimos 1.3 × 104 meters 1.3 × 104 meters
Phobos 2.3 × 104 meters 2.3 × 104 meters
Neutron star 2.4 × 104 meters
Ganymed 3.2 × 104 meters
Marathon 4.2 × 104 meters 4.2 × 104 meters
Bianca 5.4 × 104 meters
Rhode Island 7.5 × 104 meters
Belinda 8 × 104 meters
Nix 8 × 104 meters
Hydra 105 meters
Brunei 1.2 × 105 meters
Dysnomia 1.5 × 105 meters
Galatea 1.6 × 105 meters
Rwanda 2.4 × 105 meters
Nereid 3.4 × 105 meters
West Virginia 4 × 105 meters
Grand Canyon 4.5 × 105 meters
Miranda 4.7 × 105 meters
Ceres 9.5 × 105 meters 9.5 × 105 meters
Megameter 106 meters 106 meters
Italy 1.1 × 106 meters
California 1.2 × 106 meters
Charon 1.2 × 106 meters 1.2 × 106 meters
Texas 1.2 × 106 meters
Quaoar 1.3 × 106 meters 1.3 × 106 meters
Titania 1.5 × 106 meters
Sedna 1.7 × 106 meters 1.8 × 106 meters
Pluto 2.3 × 106 meters 2.3 × 106 meters
Eris 2.7 × 106 meters 2.4 × 106 meters
Great Barrier Reef 2.6 × 106 meters
Triton 2.7 × 106 meters 2.7 × 106 meters
Europa 3.1 × 106 meters
Moon 3.5 × 106 meters 3.5 × 106 meters
Io 3.6 × 106 meters
Width of the United States 4.2 × 106 meters 4.2 × 106 meters
Callisto 4.8 × 106 meters
Mercury 4.7 × 106 meters 4.9 × 106 meters
Titan 5.2 × 106 meters
Ganymede 5.3 × 106 meters 5.3 × 106 meters
Mars 6.8 × 106 meters 6.8 × 106 meters
Asia 8 × 106 meters
Great Wall of China 8.8 × 106 meters
Venus 1.2 × 107 meters 1.2 × 107 meters
Earth 1.27 × 107 meters 1.27 × 107 meters
Sirius B 2 × 107 meters 2 × 107 meters
Neptune 4.9 × 107 meters 4.9 × 107 meters
Uranus 5.1 × 107 meters 5.1 × 107 meters
Minecraft world 6.4 × 107 meters
Gliese 229 B 1.1 × 108 meters 1.1 × 108 meters
Saturn 1.2 × 108 meters 1.2 × 108 meters
Jupiter 1.4 × 108 meters 1.4 × 108 meters
Wolf 359 1.9 × 108 meters 1.5 × 108 meters
Proxima Centauri 2.8 × 108 meters 2 × 108 meters
TrES-4 2.3 × 108 meters 2.29999 × 108 meters
Luyten's Star 3.3 × 108 meters 3.3 × 108 meters
Kapteyn's Star 4.2 × 108 meters
Distance from Earth to the Moon 4 × 108 meters 3.8 × 108 meters
Gliese 229A 9.6 × 108 meters
Gigameter 109 meters 109 meters
Alpha Centauri B 109 meters 109 meters
Sun 1.4 × 109 meters 1.4 × 109 meters
Alpha Centauri A 1.5 × 109 meters 1.5 × 109 meters
Sirius A 2.5 × 109 meters 2.5 × 109 meters
Altair 2.6 × 109 meters
Procyon 2.9 × 109 meters
Vega 3.8 × 109 meters 3.8 × 109 meters
Regulus 5.8 × 109 meters 5.8 × 109 meters
Spica 9.6 × 109 meters 9.6 × 109 meters
Total human height 1010 meters
Pollux 1.1 × 1010 meters 1.1 × 1010 meters
Capella 1.7 × 1010 meters
VV Cephei B 2 × 1010 meters
Albireo 2.2 × 1010 meters
Arcturus 3.6 × 1010 meters 3.6 × 1010 meters
Polaris 4 × 1010 meters 4 × 1010 meters
Aldebaran 6 × 1010 meters 6 × 1010 meters
Distance from Mercury to the Sun 6 × 1010 meters
Alnitak 8.4 × 1010 meters 8.4 × 1010 meters
Rigel 9.7 × 1010 meters 9.7 × 1010 meters
Distance from Earth to the Sun 1.5 × 1011 meters 1.5 × 1011 meters
Gacrux 1.6 × 1011 meters 1.6 × 1011 meters
Enif 1.6 × 1011 meters
Deneb 3.1 × 1011 meters 3.1 × 1011 meters
La Superba 4.2 × 1011 meters 4.2 × 1011 meters
Pistol Star 4.7 × 1011 meters 4.7 × 1011 meters
R Doradus 5.2 × 1011 meters
S Doradus 7.7 × 1011 meters 7.7 × 1011 meters
Distance from Jupiter to the Sun 7.8 × 1011 meters
Antares 9.7 × 1011 meters 9.69999999 × 1011 meters

1 terameter and beyond

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Item Measurement given in The Scale of the Universe Measurement given in The Scale of the Universe 2
Terameter 1012 meters 1012 meters
V382 Carinae 1012 meters
V838 Monocerotis 1.1 × 1012 meters
Betelgeuse 1.4 × 1012 meters 1.3 × 1012 meters
Mu Cephei 1.9 × 1012 meters 1.9 × 1012 meters
KY Cygni 2 × 1012 meters 2 × 1012 meters
V354 Cephei 2.1 × 1012 meters 2.1 × 1012 meters
VV Cephei A 2.4 × 1012 meters 2.4 × 1012 meters
WOH G64 2.8 × 1012 meters 2.8 × 1012 meters
VY Canis Majoris 3 × 1012 meters 3 × 1012 meters
Distance from Neptune to the Sun 4.5 × 1012 meters
Distance from Pluto to the Sun 5.9 × 1012 meters
Kuiper Belt 1.5 × 1013 meters 1.5 × 1013 meters
Distance from Voyager 1 to Earth 1.7 × 1013 meters
Homunculus Nebula 2 × 1013 meters 2 × 1013 meters
Light-day 2.6 × 1013 meters
Distance from Comet Hale-Bopp to Sun (farthest) 5.5 × 1013 meters
Distance from Sedna to Sun (farthest) 1.4 × 1014 meters
Stingray Nebula 3 × 1014 meters 8 × 1014 meters
Petameter 1015 meters 1015 meters
Distance from Proxima Centauri to Alpha Centauri A 1.5 × 1015 meters 1.5 × 1015 meters
Gomez's Hamburger 2.5 × 1015 meters
Cat's Eye Nebula 3.5 × 1015 meters 2.5 × 1015 meters
Hourglass Nebula 3 × 1015 meters
Blinking Nebula 4.5 × 1015 meters
Light year 9.5 × 1015 meters 1016 meters
Rotten Egg Nebula 1 light year
1.4 × 1016 meters
Ring Nebula 1.3 × 1016 meters 2 light years
1.7 × 1016 meters
Oort cloud 1.5 × 1015 meters 2 light years
2 × 1016 meters
Horsehead Nebula 2 × 1016 meters 2 light years
2 × 1016 meters
Ant Nebula 2 light years
2 × 1016 meters
Eskimo Nebula 2 light years
2 × 1016 meters
Boomerang Nebula 2 light years
2.1 × 1016 meters
Helix Nebula 3 × 1016 meters 3 light years
3 × 1016 meters
Parsec 3 light years
3.3 × 1016 meters
Distance from the Sun to Proxima Centauri 4 × 1016 meters 4 light years
4.2 × 1016 meters
Bubble Nebula 7 light years
7 × 1016 meters
Cone Nebula 8 light years
8 × 1016 meters
Pillars of Creation 9.5 × 1016 meters 10 light years
1017 meters
Crab Nebula 7 × 1016 meters 11 light years
1.1 × 1017 meters
The Spire 20 light years
2 × 1017 meters
Orion Nebula 2 × 1017 meters 24 light years
2.4 × 1017 meters
Solar System's solar neighborhood 4 × 1017 meters
North America Nebula 40 light years
4 × 1017 meters
Messier 14 5 × 1017 meters
Great Nebula in Carina 60 light years
6 × 1017 meters
Cave Nebula 70 light years
7 × 1017 meters
Eagle Nebula 70 light years
7 × 1017 meters
Rosette Nebula 6.5 × 1017 meters 100 light years
1018 meters
Exameter 1018 meters 1018 meters
Lagoon Nebula 110 light years
1.1 × 1018 meters
Omega Centauri 1018 meters 150 light years
1.5 × 1018 meters
Messier 54 1.5 × 1018 meters 300 light years
3 × 1018 meters
Barnard's Loop 300 light years
3 × 1018 meters
Tarantula Nebula 5 × 1018 meters 600 light years
6 × 1018 meters
Leo II 2,000 light years
2 × 1019 meters
Messier 87 relativistic jets 5 × 1019 meters
Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy 5,000 light years
5 × 1019 meters
Canes Venatici I 6,500 light years
6.5 × 1019 meters
Small Magellanic Cloud 3.5 × 1019 meters 7,000 light years
7 × 1019 meters
Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy 1019 meters 10,000 light years
1020 meters
Large Magellanic Cloud 7.5 × 1019 meters 14,000 light years
1.4 × 1020 meters
NGC 3310 22,000 light years
2.2 × 1020 meters
NGC 7714 3.5 × 1020 meters
Triangulum 5 × 1020 meters 50,000 light years
5 × 1020 meters
Sombrero Galaxy 7 × 1020 meters 50,000 light years
5 × 1020 meters
Black Eye Galaxy 8.5 × 1020 meters
Zettameter 1021 meters 1021 meters
Milky Way 1.2 × 1021 meters 120,000 light years
1.2 × 1021 meters
Andromeda 1.5 × 1021 meters 150,000 light years
1.5 × 1021 meters
Cartwheel Galaxy 150,000 light years
1.5 × 1021 meters
Pinwheel Galaxy 1.8 × 1021 meters 170,000 light years
1.7 × 1021 meters
Whirlpool Galaxy 180,000 light years
1.8 × 1021 meters
NGC 1232 2 × 1021 meters 220,000 light years
2.2 × 1021 meters
Virgo A 2.5 × 1021 meters 250,000 light years
2.5 × 1021 meters
Tadpole Galaxy 300,000 light years
3 × 1021 meters
Distance Earth has traveled relative to the sun 450,000 light years
4.5 × 1021 meters
NGC 4889 5 × 1021 meters 500,000 light years
5 × 1021 meters
Distance to Andromeda 2 million light years
2 × 1022 meters
IC 1101 5 × 1022 meters 5 million light years
5 × 1022 meters
Abell 2029 6 million light years
6 × 1022 meters
Local Group 4 × 1022 meters 10 million light years
1022 meters
Fornax Cluster 20 million light years
2 × 1023 meters
Virgo Cluster 1.55 × 1023 meters 30 million light years
3 × 1023 meters
Yottameter 1024 meters 1024 meters
Virgo Supercluster 1.5 × 1024 meters 110 million light years
1.1 × 1024 meters
Distance to the Great Attractor 250 million light years
2.5 × 1024 meters
Eridanus Supervoid 500 million light years
5 × 1024 meters
Distance to the Shapley Supercluster 650 million light years
6.5 × 1024 meters
Pisces-Cetus Supercluster Complex 1 billion light years
1025 meters
Sloan Great Wall 1.3 billion light years
1.3 × 1025 meters
Gigaparsec 3.3 billion light years
3.3 × 1025 meters
Distance to the Hubble Deep Field 12.7 billion light years
1.27 × 1026 meters
Observable universe 1.4 × 1026 meters 93.4 billion light years
9.34 × 1026 meters
Estimated size of the universe 9.3 × 1026 meters 160 billion light years
1.6 × 1027 meters

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "'The Scale of the Universe,' by Two Teenage Brothers". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
  2. ^ a b "WGSBN Bulletin 1, #3" (PDF). WGSBN Bulletin. 1 (3). International Astronomical Union: 7. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  3. ^ Murphy, Dan (1 March 2012). "Something beautiful: Cary Huang's Scale of the Universe".
  4. ^ Wired Staff [3/1/12] - The Scale of the Universe: an Interactive Infographic
  5. ^ Michigan Radio Offbeat: Two 14 Year Olds Show Us The Scale Of The Universe
  6. ^ The Scale of the Universe 2. htwins.net
  7. ^ Hill, David J. (2012-04-15). ""The Scale Of The Universe 2" Animation Made By 14-Year-Olds Is Mind Blowing". Singularity Hub. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
  8. ^ Rao, Mallika (2012-07-20). "'The Scale Of The Universe 2': Cary And Michael Huang Let You Scroll Through The Universe (PHOTOS)". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  9. ^ "APOD: 2018 October 7 - The Scale of the Universe Interactive". NASA. October 7, 2018. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
  10. ^ @carykh (October 4, 2020). Hey Kurzgesagt! Hello from Scale of the Universe's Creator. YouTube. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  11. ^ VanderBorght, Mieke. "Universe in a Nutshell App Review". Common Sense Media. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
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