What colour is the universe?

You might think space is black, but scientists say the average colour of the universe is actually a soft beige — called ‘Cosmic Latte’!

In 2002, astronomers Karl Glazebrook and Ivan Baldry from Johns Hopkins University studied light from more than 200,000 galaxies. By combining all the colours of light coming from stars, blue, red, yellow and more, they discovered that the universe’s overall shade turned out to be a creamy off-white. Its colour code is #FFF8E7, and it’s described as warm, calm and neutral, just like a latte!

What would space taste like?

Believe it or not, space has a flavour too — at least according to scientists who study cosmic chemistry. In 2009, astronomers found a giant cloud of gas and dust in the centre of our galaxy that contains a compound called ethyl formate, the same molecule that gives raspberries their taste!

So if you could somehow lick that cloud (not recommended!), it might taste a little like raspberry jam.

What does space smell like?

Space might look silent and empty, but astronauts say it smells rather strange! After spacewalks, when they remove their helmets, they often notice a strong scent clinging to their suits — something like seared steak, hot metal, or even spent gunpowder.

This doesn’t mean space itself has a smell — smells can’t travel in a vacuum. Instead, scientists think it’s caused by particles from space, like atomic oxygen, reacting with the air inside the spacecraft. These reactions create that metallic, smoky scent.

NASA even hired a chemist to recreate the smell on Earth to help train astronauts for their missions!

Published in Dawn, Young World, November 8th, 2025