# New Simulation Reveals Early Universe's Cosmic Web

> A new simulation shows how the first stars shaped the universe's cosmic web.
- Title: New Simulation Reveals Early Universe's Cosmic Web · CNN
- Summary: A new simulation shows how the first stars shaped the universe's cosmic web. Scientists used Lumina to model how early stars and black holes drove…
- Keywords: early universe, cosmic web, reionization, lumina simulation, james webb space telescope, cosmic structure, dark matter, ordinary matter, CNN
- Source: CNN — https://cnn.com/2026/11/11/science/early-universe-simulation-lumina
- Author: Taylor Nicioli
- Published: 2026-11-11T13:30:15.219+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: early universe, cosmic web, reionization, lumina simulation, james webb space telescope, cosmic structure, dark matter, ordinary matter, science
## New Simulation of Early Universe
A team created one of the most detailed models yet of the early universe.
## Lumina Simulation Details
Lumina re-creates how the first stars and black holes drove reionization, a pivotal phase that transformed the universe.
## Reionization Process
Ultraviolet radiation from early stars stripped electrons from hydrogen atoms, allowing light to travel farther.
## Lumina's Scale
Lumina spans a region 1.5 billion light-years across, covering 100 times more space than earlier simulations.
## Simulation Creation
The simulation took nearly three years using 15,000 graphics processing units on Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Frontier supercomputer.
## Lumina's Features
Lumina resolves individual galaxies while showing the cosmic web, allowing scientists to study matter movement.
## Dark Matter and Ordinary Matter
Lumina tracks how ordinary matter and dark matter moved differently through space, creating cosmic patterns.
## Scientific Reactions
Julian Muñoz called Lumina a technical achievement, noting it covers more space and runs longer than past simulations.
## Future Applications
Lumina could help scientists study rare galaxies and test theories about the early universe's evolution.
## What Happens Next
Scientists will compare Lumina with telescope observations to refine understanding of the early cosmos.
## Key takeaway

Scientists used Lumina to model how early stars and black holes drove reionization, transforming the universe.