ESA's Planck mission has released its first full-sky map. The image shows the cosmic microwave background (CMB) in higher resolution than ever before and it may help cosmologists to develop a much clearer picture of the early universe.
"This is the moment that Planck was conceived for," says David Southwood, who is ESA's director of science and robotic exploration. "We are opening the door to an Eldorado where scientists can seek the nuggets that will lead to deeper understanding of how our universe came to be and how it works now."
santecarloni on 05 Jan 12A scientist in the US is arguing that the vacuum should behave as a metamaterial at high magnetic fields. Such magnetic fields were probably present in the early universe, and therefore he suggests that it may be possible to test the prediction by observing the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation - a relic of the early universe that can be observed today.
