Why Outer Space Is the Internet's New Comfort Content

The internet has recently found comfort in the unexpected: outer space.

Between major headlines and automation anxiety, pictures from beyond the planet have been circulating. Astronauts laughing in orbit. Earth rising above the lunar horizon. A crew hugging in silence with the Moon behind them. The internet has a name for this kind of content: “hopecore.” Moments of sincerity, of community, where people actively seek joy to cut through the noise of the web.