cosmic microwave background

Cultural  

1. The microwave radiation that arrives at the Earth from every direction in space. The detection of this radiation played an important role in acceptance of the Big Bang theory.

---

Discover More

This radiation is sometimes referred to as the “echo” of the Big Bang.

Example Sentences

They’ve measured the cosmic microwave background, or leftover radiation from the Big Bang, with extremely high precision to help paint a picture of the first nanoseconds of the universe.

From Salon • Jan. 17, 2025

"Studying these waves from the early universe will help us build a complete picture of our cosmic history, analogous to previous discoveries of the cosmic microwave background."

From Science Daily • Mar. 8, 2024

“This could lead to something really groundbreaking,” Dr. Soares-Santos said, comparing it to the discovery of the cosmic microwave background in the 1960s, which has since transformed physicists’ knowledge about the early universe.

From New York Times • Jun. 28, 2023

The light from this epoch, now stretched to microwave wavelengths because of the universe’s subsequent expansion, is detectable as the all-pervading cosmic microwave background.

From Scientific American • Apr. 18, 2022

Another strong indication of the big-bang is cosmic microwave background radiation.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017