COBE Hotspots: The Oldest Structures Known
Explanation:
Above is a
microwave image of the entire sky.
The plane of
our galaxy runs horizontally through the center.
This historic all-sky map is
based on the first two years of data from NASA's
COsmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite.
After computer processing to remove
contributions from nearby objects
and the
effects of the earth's motion,
the map shows
temperature variations in the early Universe
as red "spots".
These spots are the oldest, most distant structures known.
As our Universe expanded and cooled, conglomerations of mass formed.
The COBE images confirm that only a million years after the
big-bang
- which occurred roughly
15 billion years ago - parts of the universe
were visibly hotter than other parts.
By studying the size and distribution of the spots
found with COBE and
future missions,
astronomers hope to learn what matter and processes caused the
spots to form - and hence determine the
composition, density, and
future of
our Universe.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
