COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer)

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

NASA

What it measures

The Cosmic Microwave Background

Knowledge connections

MeasuresThe Cosmic Microwave Background
Operated byNASA

Sources & references

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

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.

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