Cosmic Beginnings

We stand at an incredible time in human history. Within many of our lifetimes, we may discover answers to two age-old questions: “How did it all start?” and “Are we alone in the galaxy?” Astronomers studying the early universe and exploring planets outside our solar system offer a peek into what they expect to see as humanity arrives, finally, at the cusp of revealing the nature of our cosmic beginnings and detecting traces of life beyond Earth.