Pictures from the past. (Astronomy).A new "map" of the cosmos seems to confirm the Big Bang -- a scientific theory about the creation of the universe. This startling star·tle v. star·tled, star·tling, star·tles v.tr. 1. To cause to make a quick involuntary movement or start. 2. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly. See Synonyms at frighten. map, which provides the most detailed " snapshot" of the early universe to date, captures the afterglow afterglow small amounts of light emitted by a phosphor after the stimulating radiation has ceased. Seen in x-ray intensifying screens and fluoroscopic screens. of the Big Bang--380,000 years after it occurred. Scientists believe that before the Big Bang, same 13.7 billion years ago, all matter was smaller than the nucleus of an atom. A fiery explosion of particles and energy, they say, gave birth to an ever-expanding universe. Unveiled by NASA NASA: see National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. in February, the map was produced by a satellite called the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy anisotropy /an·isot·ro·py/ (an?i-sot´rah-pe) the quality of being anisotropic. anisotropy (an´āsôt´r Probe--or WMAP--which views deep space from 1 million miles beyond the Earth's orbit. Launched in 2001, it is designed to operate for four years. WMAP WMAP Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (NASA) WMAP Weighted Map WMAP Waste Minimization Award Program has begun to lead the way to a new generation of scientific discovery. Says one cosmologist [a person who studies the origins of the universe], "This is the door to precision cosmology being opened. It is the first step in a long march." |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion