The agreement between theory and observation here is historic, and the peak of the observed spectrum determines the leftover temperature of the Cosmic Microwave Background: 2.73 K. Note that the "error bars" on the right are an astounding 400 sigma. Sun is more of a series of blackbodies due to the thickness of its photosphere at right is the actual perfect blackbody of the CMB as measured by the COBE satellite. The Sun's actual light (yellow curve, left) versus a perfect blackbody (in grey), showing that the. While science moved on to the Big Bang becoming part of the consensus, i.e., a sensible starting point for future science, Hoyle and his ideological allies worked to hold back the progress of science by advocating for scientifically untenable alternatives. Each and every explanation that was tried was refuted by the data: the spectrum of this cosmic afterglow was too perfect a blackbody, too equal in all directions, and too uncorrelated with the matter in the Universe to line up with these alternative explanations. Nor reflected light, nor dust that was heated up and radiating. While most astronomers and astrophysicists immediately accepted the Big Bang, the strongest proponents of the leading alternative Steady-State theory - people like Fred Hoyle - came up with progressively more and more absurd contentions to defend their discredited idea in the face of overwhelming data.īut each idea failed spectacularly. Some ~55 years ago, this background of cosmic radiation was first detected, catapulting the Big Bang from one of a few viable options for our Universe’s origin to the only one consistent with the data. After neutral atoms form, owing to the Universe cooling to below a certain, critical threshold, the photons simply travel in a straight line, affected only in wavelength by the expansion of space. electrons (and to a lesser extent, protons) at a very high rate, transferring momentum when they do. In the hot, early Universe, prior to the formation of neutral atoms, photons scatter off of. When this last stage occurs, the photons permeating the Universe, which had previously scattered off of the free electrons, simply travel in a straight line, lengthening in wavelength and diluting in number as the Universe expands.
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