COSMOLOGY:
Balloon Flight Brings Cosmic Glow Into Focus
Robert Irion
Seven years ago, the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite thrilled cosmologists by revealing the first glimpse of imprints left on the young universe during its birth in the big bang. Now, a telescope carried aloft by a balloon has scrutinized the microwave glow much more closely--giving cosmologists who have seen the early results another thrill. The data, which come from BOOMERANG, a joint U.S. and Italian mission that flew over Antarctica, could offer insights into the proportions of matter and energy in the cosmos.