It was in fact the moment of creation, nearly 14 billion years ago when those first atoms got their electrons. That's the moment when the milky cloud clears and the new universe comes into view for the first time. To catch (a) better images of this critical event, NASA launched the Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite or COBE. They pointed it out into space where it took the temperature of the universe. By measuring differences in temperature across space, they created the first map of our early universe. The images were called the face of God.
近140亿年前,第一批原子获得电子,这的确是创造性的时刻。此刻混沌的宇宙变得清澈,第一次呈现出新气象。为了更好地捕捉这关键性的时刻,美国太空总署发射了COBE-宇宙背景探测器。探测器扫描太空来测量温度。通过测量太空内温度的差别,他们绘制出了第一张早期宇宙的微波辐射图。这张图像被称作神的面貌。
We got gorgeous pictures, baby pictures of the infant universe when it was 380,000 years of age. But there are problems with it. The picture was very fuzzy. The COBE's result was simply not good enough.
我们绘制了斑斓的图片,那时宇宙只诞生了38万年,就如同襁褓中的婴儿。然而,我们也遇到了难题,绘制出的微波辐射图十分模糊。这一次宇宙背景探测的效果不尽如人意。
So NASA launched an even more advanced satellite WMAP, the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe. In 2001, David Spergel was part of the team looking for a clear image of the early universe.
因此,美国太空总署又发射了一颗更为先进的卫星WMAP-威尔金森微波各向异性探测器。2001年WMAP探测项目组开始着手绘制清晰的宇宙早期微波辐射图,物理家大卫·斯伯格也是其中一名成员。
It was exciting to go to the cape. It was one of these moments when we were sitting there, watching this, as they're of my family. Watching the rocket go off. It was very exciting when within a better day we all get our first signal from the satellite. And now it was working, working without problem.
去好望角很令人兴奋。我们坐在那里观察着,觉得它们就是家人,这一刻让我很难忘。看着火箭脱落。崭新的一天降临,我们都接收到来自卫星的第一个信号,对此我们兴奋不已。直到现在卫星一直顺利地运行工作着。
This is the most detailed picture of the early universe ever taken, just 380,000 years after the Big Bang. The red-yellow areas are warmer, the blue and green regions cooler. And those temperature differences are clues to the future structure of the universe.
这就是目前我们绘制出的最清晰的宇宙早期(大爆炸后仅仅38万年)背景辐射图。红黄区域表示温度高,蓝绿区域表示温度稍低。这些温度差异是宇宙未来发展态势的线索。
You see tiny variations in temperature, those tiny variations in temperature reflect small variations in dense. This region has more matter, this region has less matter.
你也知道,温度上微小的差别反应了密度上的微小差别。这块区域包含更多物质,这块区域就相对少点。
Like a blueprint for the construction of our universe, this image shows us where there's more matter and where there's less. Regions with no matter will become empty space. Areas with denser matter will become the construction sites of galaxies, stars and planets.
像一张描绘宇宙结构的蓝图,这张图片向我们展示了物质的分布。没有物质的区域就会变成虚无空间。物质密度高的区域会变成孕育星系、恒星和星球的摇篮。