Planck space observatory to find clues about earliest moments of Universe’s existence
September 18th, 2009 - 12:25 pm ICT by ANILondon, September 18 (ANI): The European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Planck space observatory has embarked on a 15 month mission to map the structure of the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation (CMB) - the relic radiation from the Big Bang that created the Universe.
The properties of the tiny fluctuations in the CMB provide information about the earliest moments of the Universe’s existence and how it evolved to become the Universe we see today.
Planck is looking with finer resolution and greater sensitivity than previous satellites, and will allow the details of the Universe’s age and composition to be calculated more precisely than ever before.
By observing at all 9 frequencies, Planck can separate the CMB from the light emitted by the Galaxy at the same frequencies.
As a result, Planck will make unprecedented observations of our own Galaxy, detecting and characterizing both gas and dust.
Having maps at all nine frequencies allows the individual sources of microwave light to be distinguished better than ever before.
According to Professor George Efstathiou of the University of Cambridge and UK Principal Investigator for Planck, “We are thrilled that Planck is working so well. Scientists in the UK were involved in building the two focal plane instruments on Planck and also critical parts of the sophisticated cooling system. We have now begun scientific analysis of the beautiful data from Planck and are looking forward to finding out new information on the beginnings of space and time as we know it.”
“In the 16 years since Planck’s development started, this is the most exciting time. The wonderful thing is that Planck from its vantage point one million miles from Earth is now producing images of the creation of the Universe, the so-called Big Bang, with a clarity never seen by mankind,” said Professor Richard Davis of Manchester University and principal investigator of Planck’s UK-built LFI instrument.
The Planck satellite was launched along with the Herschel satellite on 14th May 2009 from Kourou, French Guiana, on an Ariane 5 rocket. (ANI)
- India launching satellite to study tropical climate - Sep 10, 2011
- ESA to launch two large observatories to look deep into space and time - May 08, 2009
- Largest ever telescope launched from French Guiana - May 15, 2009
- Planck reveals unseen wonders of the universe - Jan 12, 2011
- Russia to launch ESA satellites Sunday - Dec 12, 2011
- Russia sends two carrier rockets to French Guiana - May 21, 2011
- Planck spacecraft obtains first peek of big bang's 'afterglow' - Sep 18, 2009
- Planck satellite all set to measure the Big Bang - May 13, 2009
- British space mission to uncover 'secrets of universe' - May 02, 2009
- Stars forming 'much more rapidly than previously believed' - Dec 17, 2010
- A year of satisfactory space missions (2011 in Retrospect) (With images) - Dec 26, 2011
- ESA's Hylas-1 released in space - Nov 27, 2010
- Ancient helium shows up in Big Bang's echo - Feb 09, 2010
- India's heavy satellite GSAT-8 launched from French Guiana - May 21, 2011
- European Space Agency's Planck Telescope Sends Spectacular Image Of Universe - Jul 06, 2010
Tags: big bang, cooling system, cosmic microwave background, creation of the universe, european space agency, focal plane instruments, manchester university, microwave background radiation, microwave light, one million miles, planck, principal investigator, professor george, professor richard, relic radiation, space and time, space observatory, tiny fluctuations, university of cambridge, vantage point
