--- title: The Science Behind Fireworks - And the Galaxy description: How do fireworks work? The same way the universe does. canonical: https://time.com/3943140/science-fireworks-galaxy-astronomy/ author: Salima Koroma article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-01T14:57:32.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T05:32:27.000Z article:section: Science og:title: Explore the Science Behind Fireworks—and the Galaxy og:description: How do fireworks work? The same way the universe does og:url: https://time.com/3943140/science-fireworks-galaxy-astronomy/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4b6dee84fd8e3776/69885943cd1bba72de6fc165/fireworks-still.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Fireworks illuminate the night sky above og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Explore the Science Behind Fireworks—and the Galaxy twitter:description: How do fireworks work? The same way the universe does twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4b6dee84fd8e3776/69885943cd1bba72de6fc165/fireworks-still.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Science of Why We Love Fireworks by [Salima Koroma](https://time.com/author/salima-koroma/) and [Ainissa Ramirez](https://time.com/author/ainissa-ramirez/) Updated: Dec 13, 2023 5:32 AM UTCPublished: Jul 1, 2015 2:57 PM UTC  Fireworks illuminate the night sky above the Washington Monument (L) during Fourth of July celebrations in Washington, DC, on July 4, 2012\. Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in US commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/GettyImages) Fireworks illuminate the night sky above the Washington Monument (L) during Fourth of July celebrations in Washington, DC, on July 4, 2012\. Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in US commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/GettyImages)JEWEL SAMAD—AFP/Getty Images by [Salima Koroma](https://time.com/author/salima-koroma/) and [Ainissa Ramirez](https://time.com/author/ainissa-ramirez/) Updated: Dec 13, 2023 5:32 AM UTCPublished: Jul 1, 2015 2:57 PM UTC To you and me, watching fireworks is an age-old pastime best spent with people you love. But to astronomers, seeing those beautiful colors light up the night sky—like they will across the world on New Year’s Eve—means something entirely different. The chemistry that enables people to see the array of colors during a fireworks show, is the same chemistry that allows astronomers to see stars and planets hundreds of light years away. Watch materials scientist Ainissa Ramirez explain how this is possible. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3943140/science-fireworks-galaxy-astronomy/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3943140/science-fireworks-galaxy-astronomy/"},"headline":"The Science of Why We Love Fireworks","datePublished":"2015-07-01T14:57:32.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T05:32:27.000Z","description":"How do fireworks work? 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