Is the cosmic background radiation uniform across the sky?

serpa

In cosmology, cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation (also CMBR, CBR, MBR, and relic radiation) is thermal radiation filling the observable universe almost uniformly.[1] With a traditional optical telescope, the space between stars and galaxies (the background) is completely dark. But a sufficiently sensitive radio telescope shows a faint background glow, almost exactly the same in all directions, that is not associated with any star, galaxy, or other object. This glow is strongest in the microwave region of the radio spectrum. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_microwave_background_radiation Aug 14 11, 7:46 PM

triviapaul

No, and that is significant. From the same link: "The glow is highly uniform in all directions, but shows a very specific pattern [...] In particular, the spatial power spectrum contains small anisotropies, or irregularities [...] This is still a very active field of study, with scientists seeking both better data (for example, the Planck spacecraft) and better interpretations of the initial conditions of expansion. Although many different processes might produce the general form of a black body spectrum, no model other than the Big Bang has yet explained the fluctuations. As a result, most cosmologists consider the Big Bang model of the universe to be the best explanation for the CMBR." In other words, the cosmic background radiation is almost, but not quite uniform, and that is taken as an important piece of evidence for the Big Bang Theory. Aug 15 11, 7:04 AM