Astronomers release massive set of 'virtual universes' for global research

Astronomers release massive set of 'virtual universes' for global research

Understanding the universe as a whole requires simulations on cosmic scales. An international team of astrophysicists, with a leading role for researchers at Leiden University, Netherlands, has now released one of the largest cosmological simulation datasets ever produced. The dataset contains more than 2.5 petabytes of simulation data—roughly equivalent to half a million HD movies.

Astronomers Open 2.5 Petabyte FLAMINGO Simulation Archive to Global Research

Amsterdam, Netherlands (SPX) Apr 29, 2026 An international team of astrophysicists led by researchers at Leiden University in the Netherlands has publicly released one of the largest cosmological simulation datasets ever produced. The archive contains more than 2.5 petabytes of data - roughly equivalent to half a million high-definition movies - and forms part of the FLAMINGO project, a suite of large-scale simulations designed to model