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NASA to "Map" Big Bang Remnant to Solve Universal Mysteries
The Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) will journey into deep
space on a voyage to explore some of the deepest mysteries
of the cosmos. Scientists hope to determine the content, shape
history, and the ultimate fate of the Universe, by constructing
a full-sky picture of the oldest light in the Universe.
How MAP Moves
The MAP spacecraft spins like a top to capture light from every part of the sky. The long conical horns on each side are shaped to receive photons that have been captured by a set of reflecting mirrors. The MAP hardware and software were produced by Goddard Space Flight Center and Princeton University.
Oldest Light in the Universe - A Baby Picture of the Universe
The image on the right is a simulated view of what MAP might see after it completes its mission. (The image on the left is COBE's view of the early universe from 1992.) There are tiny patterns in this light. These patterns result from the tiny condensations that were the seeds for the eventual growth of galaxies. The patterns in the light hold the key for understanding the history, the content, the shape, and the fate of the Universe. Each cosmic scenario predicts a specific pattern for this light - a cosmic fingerprint. MAP will make a full sky picture of this light so will know the correct fingerprint of our Universe. By comparing fingerprints, MAP will determine which cosmic scenario matches our Universe. Then we will know the age of our Universe, how fast it is expanding, whether the expansion is accelerating, the shape the Universe, the content of the Universe, and the ultimate fate of the Universe. There is a wealth of information encoded in the patterns of the oldest light.
Ripples resulting from tossing pebbles in a pond are affected by the size and number of the pebbles and by the size and shape of the pond. By studying ripples in the early Universe, scientists can gain a wealth of information about the makeup of the early Universe.
MAP Reaches Second Lagrange Point (L2)
About a month after its launch on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral, FL, MAP will swing past the Moon, boosting its orbit to the second Lagrange Point, or L2. This is the first time a spacecraft will be in orbit around the L2 point. The Italian-French mathematician Josef Lagrange discovered five special points in the vicinity of two orbiting masses where a third, smaller mass can orbit at a fixed distance from the larger masses. L2 is four times further than the Moon in the direction away from the Sun and requires very little fuel to maintain orbit.
After a three month journey, MAP will begin to chart the faint microwave glow from the Big Bang. It will take about 18 months to build up a full-sky picture and perform the analysis.
Scientific Objectives of MAP - Journey to the Big Bang
MAP is designed to capture the afterglow of the Big Bang. Patterns imprinted within this afterglow carry with them the answers to mysteries such as: What happened during the first instant after the Big Bang? How did the Universe evolve into the complex patterns of galaxies that we see today? Will the Universe expand forever or will it collapse? According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe began about 14 billion years ago as an unimaginably hot and dense fog of light and exotic particles. The Universe has since continuously expanded and cooled. The whole Universe is bathed in the afterglow light from the Big Bang. The light that is now reaching us has been traveling for about 14 billion years, thus allowing us a look back through time to see the early Universe.
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