Space mission
COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer)
Cosmology & Universe
Definition
NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer, which measured the spectrum and first mapped the anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background.
Overview
COBE confirmed that the CMB has a near-perfect blackbody spectrum and, in 1992, detected its tiny temperature fluctuations — the seeds of cosmic structure. The result earned the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Operated by
What it measures
Knowledge connections
- MeasuresThe Cosmic Microwave Background
- Operated byNASA
Sources & references
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.