This colorful display shows tiny differences (or "anisotropies") in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) over the entire sky. The average temperature is just 2.73 kelvins (2.73 degrees Celsius above absolute zero), and the temperature differences span mere millionths of a degree. Red represents the warmest locations, while blue reveals the coldest spots. These tiny temperature variations map the structure of the early universe. Until now, part of the Milky Way's motion inferred from the variation in the CMB was unexplained. Astronomers have discovered that the Milky Way and neighboring galaxies are being pushed from the Local Void.
NASA / WMAP Science Team