Big Questions for Hipparcos

• How did the universe originate and evolve to produce the galaxies, stars, and planets we see today?

  How did we get here? In order to understand how the Universe has changed from its initial simple state following the Big Bang (only cooling elementary particles like protons and electrons) into the magnificent Universe we see as we look at the night sky, we must understand how stars, galaxies and planets are formed.

• What are the characteristics of planetary systems orbiting other stars, and do they harbor life?

  NASA Science seeks answers to questions that are as old as humanity.