Long-Awaited Data Sharpen Picture of Universe's Birth

摘要

If good things come to those who wait, astrophysicists and cosmologists are reaping a well-deserved reward. Last week—a year later than originally planned—researchers working with NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) satellite released their second batch of data. The new measurements pinpoint the emergence of the first stars and tighten the screws on theories of how the infant universe expanded from the size of a marble to billions of light-years across in 10~(-35) seconds.