The cosmic microwave background
Chapter 1
The accidental discovery
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Chapter 2
The universe's first light
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Chapter 3
Mapping the baby universe
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Chapter 4
Deciphering the cosmic recipe
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YOUR GOAL
Master of The cosmic microwave background
Ch 4 · Deciphering the cosmic recipe
Fun Fact
Frozen music: The patterns in the cosmic microwave background are actually frozen soundwaves from the first 380,000 years of the universe.
Glossary
anisotropy (noun)
The property of being directionally dependent, which manifests as different physical properties along different axes. In 2013, the Planck space telescope mapped these temperature variations to calculate the universe's precise constituent ingredients.
The property of being directionally dependent, which manifests as different physical properties along different axes. In 2013, the Planck space telescope mapped these temperature variations to calculate the universe's precise constituent ingredients.
Quiz
What percentage of the universe is made up of normal matter like stars, planets, and people?
Quiz
What happened to the soundwaves in the early universe when recombination occurred?
Quiz
What force fought against gravity to create the acoustic oscillations in the early universe?
Quiz
What geometric shape does the cosmic microwave background prove our universe has on a large scale?
Quiz
What is the dominant ingredient in our universe, making up over 68% of its total composition?