News Space

Astronomers probe matter in early universe

Smeared light from the dawn of time confirms ideas about dark energy

By Alexandra Witze

- More than 2 years ago

In a feat of cosmic observation, astronomers have used the distortions of ancient light left over from the Big Bang to explore how clumps of matter are distributed in the distant universe.

COSMIC SMEARS Gravitational distortions are too small to be seen in this all-sky map of the Big Bang’s afterglow, assembled from data gathered by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe.