The Great Cold Spot in the cosmic microwave background
Friday, September 19, 2014 - 08:30
in Astronomy & Space
The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is the thermal afterglow of the primordial fireball we call the big bang. One of the striking features of the CMB is how remarkably uniform it is. Still, there are some small variations in temperature at various points in the sky. This is actually expected, and in fact the scale at which these fluctuations occur tells us a great deal about the structure of the universe. But there is also a fluctuation that isn't expected, and its cause is a bit of a mystery. It is known as the CMB cold spot, and there has been much speculation as to its cause.