The Universe (plus one)

Do you often sit around, look up at the night sky, and wish that you knew just a little more about the Universe? After all, it only stretches out 46 billion light years in each direction. Well, the FAS Astronomers Blog now has a five-part series on all aspects of the Universe; from what we can see to what we can’t, and maybe what’s beyond. Oh Yes, we threw in a article about our Solar System as well.

Not sure about what the Universe looks like? Here is a series of snap shots of the baby universe (from around 380,000 years after the Big Bang) taken by COBE, WMAP, and Planck. The images have an elongated shape because they are Mollweide projections onto a flat surface. For more about how flat maps are made from curved surfaces, see Mapping the World.

CMB from COBE, Image Credit: NASA/GSFC
Cosmic Microwave Background, Credit: NASA / WMAP Science Team
The CMB Image, Credit: ESA and the Planck Collaboration

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