credit Image: Courtesy of NASA/WMAP Science Team
From the NASA/WMAP Science Team:"WMAP has produced a new, more detailed picture of the infant universe. Colors indicate ’warmer’ (red) and ’cooler’ (blue) spots. The white bars show the ’polarization’ direction of the oldest light. This new information helps to pinpoint when the first stars formed and provides new clues about events that transpired in the first trillionth of a second of the universe."
credit Image: Courtesy of NASA/WMAP Science Team
From the NASA/WMAP Science Team:"The expansion of the universe over most of its history has been relatively gradual. The notion that a rapid period of ’inflation’ preceded the big bang expansion was first put forth 25 years ago. The new WMAP observations favor specific inflation scenarios over other long-held ideas."
