Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer) was a satellite launched by NASA in 1989 to measure the diffuse radiation from the early universe. It provided critical data on the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), supporting the Big Bang theory.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
The COBE satellite confirmed the blackbody spectrum of the CMB with high precision.
COBE discovered small temperature fluctuations in the CMB, which are essential for understanding the formation of galaxies and large-scale structures.
It had three instruments: Differential Microwave Radiometers (DMR), Far Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer (FIRAS), and Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE).
John Mather and George Smoot, key scientists behind COBE, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2006.
COBE's findings were pivotal in establishing the Big Bang model as the most accurate description of the universe's origin.
The prevailing cosmological model explaining the early development of the Universe, starting from a hot, dense state.
Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB): The afterglow radiation left over from the Big Bang, providing a snapshot of the infant universe.
WMAP (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe): A satellite mission that succeeded COBE, providing more detailed measurements of temperature fluctuations in the CMB.