Cosmic Microwave Background Map - NASA WMAP Data Visualization #3081302 (License: Personal Use)

The image displays a full-sky projection of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation, captured by NASA’s Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). Red and blue regions indicate minute temperature deviations-on the order of microkelvins-from the average CMB temperature of 2.7 K, reflecting density variations that seeded galaxy formation. Grid lines represent celestial coordinates (right ascension and declination), enabling precise astronomical referencing.

Used in cosmology education, scientific publications, and space agency outreach to illustrate evidence for the Big Bang theory and inflation. Targets users seeking authoritative visualizations of early-universe physics or academic resources on observational cosmology.