{"id":218041,"date":"2025-05-16T04:43:51","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T18:43:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/missions\/roman-space-telescope\/lets-bake-a-cosmic-cake\/"},"modified":"2025-05-16T04:43:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T18:43:51","slug":"lets-bake-a-cosmic-cake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=218041","title":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s Bake a Cosmic Cake!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"padding-top-5 padding-bottom-3 width-full maxw-full hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-article-intro\">\n<div class=\"width-full maxw-full article-header\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2 width-full maxw-full\">\n<p class=\"label carbon-60 margin-0 margin-bottom-3 padding-0\">6 min read<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"display-48 margin-bottom-2\">Let\u2019s Bake a Cosmic Cake!<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>To celebrate what would have been the 100th birthday of <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/people\/nancy-roman\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Dr. Nancy Grace Roman<\/a> \u2014\u00a0NASA\u2019s first chief astronomer and the namesake for the agency\u2019s nearly complete <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/roman-space-telescope\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope<\/a> \u2014 we\u2019re baking a birthday cake! This isn\u2019t your ordinary birthday treat \u2014 this cosmic cake represents the contents of our universe and everything the Roman telescope will uncover.<\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\">\n<div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><a href=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/rst\/education\/romancake_smaller%201.png?w=3840&#038;h=2160&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3840\" height=\"2160\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/rst\/education\/romancake_smaller%201.png?w=3840&#038;h=2160&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"A black cake with an excess of black piping covered shimmering gold dust on a white plate in front of a starry background covered in purple haze.\" style=\"transform: scale(1.2); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">NASA\u2019s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Cosmic Cake<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The outside of our cosmic cake depicts the sky as we see it from Earth\u2014inky black and dotted with sparkling stars. The inside represents the universe as Roman will see it. This three-layer cake charts the mysterious contents of our universe \u2014 mostly dark energy, then dark matter, and finally just five percent normal matter. As you cut into our universe cake, out spills a candy explosion symbolizing the wealth of cosmic objects Roman will see.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Roman Cosmic Cake Instructions<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Ingredients:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Two boxes of vanilla cake mix and required ingredients<\/li>\n<li>Food coloring in three colors<\/li>\n<li>Black frosting<\/li>\n<li>Edible glitter<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Yellow sprinkles\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Nonpareil sprinkle mix\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Chocolate nonpareil candies\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Popping candy\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Miniature creme sandwich cookies\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Granulated sugar\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Sour candies\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Dark chocolate chips\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Jawbreakers\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To make our cosmic cake, we first need to account for the universe\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/universe\/overview\/building-blocks\/\" rel=\"noopener\">building blocks<\/a> \u2014 normal matter, dark matter, and dark energy. Comprising about five percent of the universe, normal matter is the stuff we see around us every day, from apples to stars in the sky. Outnumbering normal matter by five times, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tumblr.com\/nasa\/180859237809\/dark-matter-101-looking-for-the-missing-mass\" rel=\"noopener\">dark matter<\/a> is an invisible mass that makes up about 25 percent of the universe. Finally, <a href=\"https:\/\/nasa.tumblr.com\/post\/187688377474\/how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-dark-energy\" rel=\"noopener\">dark energy<\/a> \u2014 a mysterious <em>something<\/em> accelerating our universe\u2019s expansion \u2014\u00a0makes up about 68 percent of the cosmos.<\/p>\n<p>No one knows what dark matter and dark energy truly are, but we know they exist due to their effects on the universe. Roman will provide clues to these puzzles by 3D mapping matter alongside the expansion of the universe through time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>To depict the universe\u2019s building blocks in our cosmic cake, mix the cake batter according to your chosen recipe. Pour one-fourth of the batter into one bowl for the dark matter layer, a little less than three-fourths into another bowl for dark energy, and the remainder into a separate bowl for normal matter. This will give you the quantities of batter for dark energy and dark matter, respectively. Use the remainder to represent normal matter. Color each bowl of batter differently using food coloring, then pour them into three separate cake pans and bake. The different sized layers will have different baking times, so watch them carefully to ensure proper cooking.<\/p>\n<p>While our cake bakes, we\u2019ll create the cosmic candy mix \u2014 the core of our cake that represents the universe\u2019s objects that Roman will uncover.<\/p>\n<p>First, pour yellow sprinkles into a bowl to symbolize the billions of stars Roman will see, including once-hidden stars on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/roman-space-telescope\/nasas-roman-team-selects-survey-to-map-our-galaxys-far-side\/\" rel=\"noopener\">far side<\/a> of the Milky Way thanks to its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/solar-system\/new-eyewear-to-deepen-the-view-of-nasas-roman-space-telescope\/\" rel=\"noopener\">ability<\/a> to see starlight through gas and dust.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Roman\u2019s data will also allow scientists to map gas and dust for the most complete picture yet of the Milky Way\u2019s structure and how it births new stars. Add some granulated sugar to the candy mix as gas and dust.<\/p>\n<p>Next, add nonpareil sprinkles and chocolate nonpareil candies to symbolize galaxies and galaxy clusters. Roman will <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/roman-space-telescope\/high-latitude-wide-area-survey\/\" rel=\"noopener\">capture<\/a> hundreds of millions of galaxies, precisely measuring their positions, shapes, sizes, and distances. By studying the properties of so many galaxies, scientists will be able to chart dark matter and dark energy\u2019s effects more accurately than ever before.<\/p>\n<p>Now, add popping candies as explosive star deaths. Roman will witness tens of thousands of a special kind called <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/roman-space-telescope\/type-ia-supernovae\/\" rel=\"noopener\">type Ia supernovae.<\/a> By studying how fast type Ia supernovae recede from us at different distances, scientists will trace cosmic expansion to better understand whether and how dark energy has changed throughout time.<\/p>\n<p>Supernovae aren\u2019t the only stellar remnants that Roman will see. To represent <a href=\"https:\/\/nasa.tumblr.com\/post\/160807881964\/neutron-stars-are-weird\" rel=\"noopener\">neutron stars<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/universe\/black-holes\/\" rel=\"noopener\">black holes<\/a>, add in jawbreakers and dark chocolate chips. Neutron stars are the remnants of massive stars that collapsed to the size of a city,\u00a0making them the densest things we can directly observe.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The densest things we <em>can\u2019t <\/em>directly observe are black holes. Most black holes are formed when massive stars collapse even further to a theoretical singular point of infinite density. Sometimes, black holes form when neutron stars merge\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/universe\/how-nasas-roman-telescope-will-scan-for-showstopping-explosions\/\" rel=\"noopener\">an epic event<\/a> that Roman will witness.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Roman is also equipped to spot <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/roman-space-telescope\/how-nasas-roman-space-telescope-will-uncover-lonesome-black-holes\/\" rel=\"noopener\">star-sized black holes<\/a> in the Milky Way and supermassive black holes in other galaxies. Some supermassive black holes lie at the center of <a href=\"https:\/\/imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov\/science\/objects\/active_galaxies1.html\" rel=\"noopener\">active galaxies<\/a>\u2014the hearts of which emit excessive energy compared to the rest of the galaxy. For these active cores, also spotted by Roman, add sour candies to the mix.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, add both whole and crushed miniature creme sandwich cookies to represent distant planets and planets-to-be. Peering into the center of our galaxy, Roman will scan for warped space-time <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/roman-space-telescope\/microlensing\/\" rel=\"noopener\">indicating<\/a> the presence of other worlds. The same set of observations could also <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/roman-space-telescope\/exoplanets\/\" rel=\"noopener\">reveal <\/a>more than 100,000 more planets <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/roman-space-telescope\/transit-method\/\" rel=\"noopener\">passing<\/a> in front of other stars. Additionally, the <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/roman-space-telescope\/coronagraph\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Coronagraph Instrument<\/a> will directly image both worlds and\u00a0dusty disks around stars that can eventually form planets.<\/p>\n<p>After baking, remove the cake layers from the oven to cool. Cut a hole in the center of the thicker dark matter and dark energy layers. Then, stack these two layers using frosting to secure them. Pour the cosmic candy mix into the cake\u2019s core. Then, place the thin normal matter layer on top, securing it with frosting. Frost the whole cake in black and dust it with edible glitter.<\/p>\n<p>Congratulations \u2014 your Roman Cosmic Cake is complete! As you look at the cake\u2019s exterior, think of the night sky. As you slice the cake, imagine Roman\u2019s deeper inspection to unveil billions of cosmic objects and clues about our universe\u2019s mysterious building blocks.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>By Laine Havens<br \/>NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 article_a hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-credits-and-details\">\n<section class=\"padding-x-0 padding-top-5 padding-bottom-2 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-2 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Share<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"padding-bottom-2\">\n<ul class=\"social-icons social-icons-round\">\n<li class=\"social-icon 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href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fscience.nasa.gov%2Fmissions%2Froman-space-telescope%2Flets-bake-a-cosmic-cake%2F\" aria-label=\"Share on Facebook.\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M9 8h-3v4h3v12h5v-12h3.642l.358-4h-4v-1.667c0-.955.192-1.333 1.115-1.333h2.885v-5h-3.808c-3.596 0-5.192 1.583-5.192 4.615v3.385z\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-linkedin\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fscience.nasa.gov%2Fmissions%2Froman-space-telescope%2Flets-bake-a-cosmic-cake%2F\" aria-label=\"Share on LinkedIn.\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M4.98 3.5c0 1.381-1.11 2.5-2.48 2.5s-2.48-1.119-2.48-2.5c0-1.38 1.11-2.5 2.48-2.5s2.48 1.12 2.48 2.5zm.02 4.5h-5v16h5v-16zm7.982 0h-4.968v16h4.969v-8.399c0-4.67 6.029-5.052 6.029 0v8.399h4.988v-10.131c0-7.88-8.922-7.593-11.018-3.714v-2.155z\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-rss\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/feed\/\" aria-label=\"Subscribe to RSS feed.\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 800 800\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M493 652H392c0-134-111-244-244-244V307c189 0 345 156 345 345zm71 0c0-228-188-416-416-416V132c285 0 520 235 520 520z\"\/><circle cx=\"219\" cy=\"581\" r=\"71\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Details<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row margin-bottom-3\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-4\">\n<div class=\"subheading\">Last Updated<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-8\">May 15, 2025<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black \">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Related Terms<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"article-tags\">\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/roman-space-telescope\" rel=\"noopener\">Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/category\/learning-resources\/for-kids-and-students\/\" rel=\"noopener\">For Kids and Students<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To celebrate what would have been the 100th birthday of Dr. Nancy Grace Roman \u2014\u00a0NASA\u2019s first chief astronomer and the namesake for the agency\u2019s nearly complete Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope \u2014 we\u2019re baking a birthday cake! This isn\u2019t your ordinary birthday treat \u2014 this cosmic cake represents the contents of our universe and everything [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16155,15619],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-218041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-kids-and-students","category-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=218041"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218041\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":218127,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218041\/revisions\/218127"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=218041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=218041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=218041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}