Which of the following is an accurate description of cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation? (1 point)
Responses
CMB increases across the universe.
CMB is remnant radiation from the Big Bang.
CMB is constantly generated by stars.
CMB produces differing temperatures across the universe.
The accurate description of cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation is that it is remnant radiation from the Big Bang.
The accurate description of cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation is:
CMB is remnant radiation from the Big Bang.
The accurate description of cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation is that it is remnant radiation from the Big Bang. To understand this, we need some basic knowledge about the origin of the universe and the Big Bang theory.
The Big Bang theory states that the universe originated from a highly dense and hot state about 13.8 billion years ago. As the universe expanded, it cooled down and underwent various stages of development, eventually leading to the formation of galaxies, stars, and other celestial objects.
During the early stages of the universe, when it was just about 380,000 years old, it was filled with a hot, dense, and uniform plasma composed of particles such as protons, electrons, and photons. As the universe continued to expand, the plasma gradually cooled down, allowing the electrons and protons to combine and form neutral atoms.
This process is known as recombination, and it also marked the point when photons became free to travel through space without significant scattering. These photons, which were once part of the hot plasma, were released and have been traveling through the universe ever since. Today, these photons have cooled down due to the ongoing expansion of the universe, and they are observed as CMB radiation.
The CMB radiation permeates the entire universe and is characterized by a nearly uniform temperature of about 2.7 Kelvin (-270.45 degrees Celsius or -454.81 degrees Fahrenheit). It is often considered as the "afterglow" of the Big Bang and provides valuable insights into the early stages of the universe's evolution.
To summarize, the accurate description of CMB radiation is that it is remnant radiation from the Big Bang, which was initially released as the universe cooled down and has been traveling through space since then.