cosmic microwave background

noun

Examples of cosmic microwave background in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Earth appears on the left, followed by our solar system and then farther celestial objects and galaxies, with the outer reaches of the universe and radiation from the cosmic microwave background appearing on the right. Robert Lea, Popular Mechanics, 14 July 2023 Cosmic Microwave Background The most important example of this line of thinking is the cosmic microwave background, or CMB. Paul M. Sutter, Discover Magazine, 30 Mar. 2023 The cosmic microwave background offered a new window into the nature of reality, one into which astronomers have been peering intently ever since. Dennis Overbye Hiroko Masuike, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2023 The second relies on the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the radiation left over from the Big Bang. Lyndie Chiou, Quanta Magazine, 25 July 2023 But then came more detailed observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Paul Sutter, Ars Technica, 24 Apr. 2023 There are, however, other ways to look for dark stars, such as via their signatures in the cosmic microwave background—the faint glow of radiation left over from when our universe was hot and young. Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 20 July 2023 To see the effects of the gravity generated by dark matter throughout the universe, cosmologists turned to another elusive area of interest—cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB). Jackie Appel, Popular Mechanics, 18 Apr. 2023 In the early ’90s, COBE measured the subtle variations in the cosmic microwave background that are thought to have seeded all later cosmological structures. Quanta Magazine, 3 Dec. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cosmic microwave background.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1981, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cosmic microwave background was in 1981

Dictionary Entries Near cosmic microwave background

cosmic dust

cosmic microwave background

cosmic noise

Cite this Entry

“Cosmic microwave background.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cosmic%20microwave%20background. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

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