Cosmic latte
A pale beige shade found by averaging the light of over 200,000 galaxies
Cosmic latte is the name given to the average colour of all the galaxies in the universe, as seen from Earth. This pale, creamy beige was calculated in 2003 by astronomers using light from more than 200,000 galaxies, and its name was chosen for its resemblance to milky coffee and the Milky Way.
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- Calculated from the light of over 200,000 galaxies
- Named by astronomers at Johns Hopkins University in 2003
- Hex code is #FFF8E7
- Was first thought to be turquoise before correction
- Name refers to the Milky Way and milky coffee
What colour is Cosmic latte?
Cosmic latte is a very light, creamy beige colour. It was found by averaging the light from hundreds of thousands of galaxies, as seen from Earth. The shade sits close to white, with a slight warm tint, and is sometimes described as 'orangish white'. It is set apart from other pale colours by its unique origin: it is not a pigment or dye, but a calculated average of the visible light in the universe.
Where does Cosmic latte come from?
The name 'cosmic latte' was chosen in 2003 after astronomers at Johns Hopkins University worked out the average colour of the universe. The term 'latte' is Italian for 'milk', a nod to both the colour's milky look and the Milky Way galaxy. The name was picked by the astronomers from several suggestions, with a playful reference to coffee and the team's 'caffeine bias'.
How Cosmic latte is defined
Cosmic latte is not a physical substance but a colour value. Astronomers calculated it by analysing the light from over 200,000 galaxies. They averaged the visible light as it would be seen by a typical human observer on Earth. The result is represented by the hex code #FFF8E7 in the sRGB colour space.
White around the world
What the white family means from country to country.
The Taliban flag is white with the Muslim declaration of faith in black. It replaced the black, red and green tricolour of the republic in 2021.
Politics and protestSacred and holySource: Flag of AfghanistanThe Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo wore white headscarves as they marched to demand news of children who disappeared under the dictatorship of 1976 to 1983.
Politics and protestMourning and deathCourageSource: Mothers of Plaza de MayoThe wiphala, a square flag of 49 small squares in seven colours with a white diagonal, stands for the Andean peoples. It has been a second national flag since 2009.
Politics and protestPrideSource: WiphalaOn New Year's Eve crowds on the beaches dress in white for peace in the year ahead. The custom comes from the Afro-Brazilian religions, whose followers wear white.
Luck and prosperityFestival and celebrationSacred and holyHopeSource: New Year's EveAn ordinary citizen's kabney is white with fringes. It must be worn to enter a dzong, the fortress that houses both monks and government offices.
Purity and peaceSource: KabneyA red cross on white, the Swiss flag reversed, marks medical staff and aid workers in war and must not be attacked under the Geneva Conventions.
Protection and healingTrustSource: Emblems of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent MovementShades and relatives of Cosmic latte
Before the final calculation, the average colour was thought to be a pale turquoise, called 'cosmic spectrum green'. Later, more accurate analysis corrected this to the creamy beige now known as cosmic latte. It is sometimes grouped with other shades of white.
Colours that go with Cosmic latte
Harmonies are worked out from the value #FFF8E7. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Cosmic latte
What colour is cosmic latte?
Cosmic latte is a pale, creamy beige shade, close to white with a slight warm tint. It was calculated as the average colour of all the galaxies in the universe as seen from Earth.
Where does the name 'cosmic latte' come from?
The name was chosen by astronomers in 2003. 'Latte' means 'milk' in Italian, linking the colour to both milky coffee and the Milky Way galaxy.
How was cosmic latte determined?
Astronomers averaged the visible light from over 200,000 galaxies, using spectral analysis, to find the colour a typical human would see from Earth.
Is cosmic latte a pigment or dye?
No, cosmic latte is not a material. It is a calculated colour value, not a substance or pigment.
Was cosmic latte always known to be beige?
No, early calculations suggested the universe's average colour was turquoise, but this was later corrected to the pale beige now called cosmic latte.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Cosmic latte", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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