Just as scientists probe the universe's temperature and shape, astrophysicists at institutions like Johns Hopkins University and the Max Planck Institute have explored intriguing properties such as its smell and color.
While developing advanced theoretical models to understand the cosmos, researchers also investigate its unique traits. In 2009, a Max Planck Institute team analyzed Sagittarius B2, a molecular cloud at the Milky Way's center. Chemical analysis detected high levels of ethyl formate (C3H6O2), the compound behind the aromas of raspberries and rum.
Beyond scent, determining the universe's color has captivated experts. In 2002, Johns Hopkins galactic astrophysicists Karl Glazebrook and Ivan Baldry examined spectra from 200,000 galaxies to study star formation.
Similar to the Sun's Fraunhofer lines, dark spectral discontinuities helped classify stars by age, revealing that most formed about 5 billion years ago. As stars evolve—from blue giants to red giants—the universe's dominant hue has shifted from blue to red.
Glazebrook and Baldry averaged the spectral data from all galaxies, then converted the result to a human-visible color. Their initial software processing yielded a pale greenish-white, dubbed the "cosmic green spectrum"—a pale turquoise.
Two months later, Johns Hopkins engineers reprocessed the data with upgraded software, identifying a flaw: the original used a non-standard white reference, tinting the result turquoise. Using standard white, the true color emerged as pale beige (hex #FFF8E7).
To name this shade, Glazebrook and Baldry ran a contest among colleagues. Though "Cappuccino Cosmico" topped votes, "Cosmic Latte" prevailed—a nod to Italian astronomer Galileo, where "latte" means milk, linking to the "Via Lattea" (Milky Way).
