Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE)

The Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) was a NASA satellite launched in 1989 to study the universe's earliest light, known as the cosmic microwave background radiation. This faint afterglow from the Big Bang provides critical clues about the universe's origin, age, and composition. COBE measured tiny temperature differences in this radiation, confirming key theories about cosmic inflation and the universe's large-scale structure. Its findings revolutionized cosmology, offering concrete evidence supporting the Big Bang model and paving the way for future telescopes like WMAP and Planck to further explore the cosmos.