This microwave map of the sky, although seemingly bland, contains critical information about the origins of the universe. Taken by NASAΓÇÖs Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE), the image has been processed to remove extraneous effects. All that remains is microwave radiation.
The background microwave radiation depicted here is a cornerstone of modern cosmology. The Big Bang theory suggests that when the universe was young, all matter and energy were very close together. This proximity produced a radiation spectrum, known as blackbody, with a specific shape. If the Big Bang actually did occur, one would expect background radiation still to exist with the blackbody shapeΓÇöprecisely what scientists
