Fact Sheet
A Little of Everything
The Milky Way galaxy and the afterglow of the Big Bang make up this all-sky image from a Planck, a European space observatory. Planck is observing microwave energy, which carries the imprint of the very early universe. Part of that imprint is visible in the top and bottom portions of the image in red and orange. Tiny variations in this energy show where the first stars and galaxies took shape. Most of the image, which was compiled from a full year of observations. is dominated by the Milky Way, which forms the bright streak across the center and the wispy clouds of blue, white, and hot pink. Over the coming years, Planck will continue to map the microwave afterglow of the Big Bang, producing the most detailed map to date of the early universe. [ESA/HFI and LFI Consortia]
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