WE NOW have a clear view of the cosmos. This week, the first results from the Microwave Anisotropy Probe were announced, giving us a clearer picture than ever before of what the Universe is like.
From MAP’s chart of the early Universe, Charles Bennett at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland and his team have extracted the essential properties of the cosmos. Instead of fuzzy estimates we now know accurately the Universe’s age, rate of expansion and the proportions of its main ingredients. “We now have a standard model of cosmology,” says David Spergel, of Princeton University. MAP has also provided strong evidence that the big bang got its kick from…
