Resumen de Cosmic rise and fall writ in the sky
Aron and Grossman talk about a new view of the universe. The European Space Agency released the highest-resolution map yet of the entire cosmic microwave background (CMB), a relic light from the primordial universe. Some of the map's insights are expected, others are complete surprises and not all are exactly welcome. Several anomalies, including a so-called Axis of Evil, raise more questions than they answer. The map, released on 21 Mar, was drawn from data collected by ESA's Planck satellite, which records temperature variations in the CMB. These arose from quantum fluctuations that were stretched during a brief period of accelerated expansion just after the birth of the universe, known as inflation, and went on to seed the distribution of stars and galaxies people see today.
