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Observatories and Instruments

Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe

Space-Based Observatories

A NASA space telescope launched in 2001 to map tiny temperature variations in the cosmic microwave background, renamed in 2003 for the cosmologist David Wilkinson. Its nine years of data pinned down the age of the universe at roughly 13.8 billion years and the proportions of ordinary matter, dark matter and dark energy within it.

Facts
Observatory Type
NASA spacecraft (space telescope) 1
Location
second Sun-Earth Lagrange point (L2), about 1,500,000 km from Earth 1
Operational
from 2001 1
Measures
temperature differences across the sky in the cosmic microwave background 1
Operating Principle
Polarization-sensitive differential radiometers that measure the difference between two telescope beams 1
Classification
Observing Band
Microwave 1
Connections

Associated With

Cosmic Microwave Background, Concepts

WMAP mapped the temperature anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background

Lagrange Points, Concepts

Operated By

NASA, Space Agencies and Companies
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe
  • Lead section, sentence 1
    The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), originally known as the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP and Explorer 80), was a NASA spacecraft operating from 2001 to 2010
  • Orbit section
    Locating the spacecraft at Lagrange 2, (1,500,000 km (930,000 mi) from Earth) thermally stabilized it.
  • Launch section
    The WMAP spacecraft was launched on 30 June 2001 from Florida.
  • Lead section, sentence 2
    which measured temperature differences across the sky in the cosmic microwave background (CMB)
  • Instrument design section
    The receivers are polarization-sensitive differential radiometers measuring the difference between two telescope beams.
  • Instrument design section, frequency bands
    five discrete radio frequency bands, from 23 GHz to 94 GHz.
  • In Group: Cosmic Microwave Background Satellites, Lead sentence
    The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), originally known as the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP and Explorer 80), was a NASA spacecraft operating from 2001 to 2010 which measured temperature differences across the sky in the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the radiant heat remaining from the Big Bang.
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Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationOperated By: NASA, Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe
Quote, Operated By: NASA, Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe
Operator: NASA
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