What is the WMAP?

The WMAP:

This WMAP is a NASA Explorer mission that launched in June 2001 of to make measurements of cosmology, or the study of the properties of our Universe as a whole. WMAP stands for, Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe. It has lead us to many breakthroughs about our Universe. It's serves as an important exploration idea to learn more about the Universe around us.

Current Universe

The Lambda-CDM model(above), or ACDM model is widly accepted and also known as the standard model. This model demonstrates that the universe started out much smaller and later blossomed into a large flower.

The Beginning and End of our Universe

All About Our Universe

With further studies regarding the universe, we can predict exactly how, when, and why the universe will one day end, and how it formed.

Formation: The most common theory that tells us how our universe formed is known as the Big Bang theory. This ‘big bang’ is said to have occurred over 13 billion years ago. It’s said that our universe was once a TINY, but infinitely hot and infinitely dense body. People that have studied the Big bang suggest that a massive blast allowed all the universe's known matter and energy—even space and time themselves—to spring from some ancient and unknown type of energy. The theory states that ever since this massive blast, only taking a trillion trillionth of a second, that the universe has slowly but gradually continued to expand.

Predicted Ending: One single theory of how the universe will end is something that has been a topic of discussion in cosmology for years. When most scientists agreed with the Big Bang theory, the death of our universe was the next issue that needed to be discussed. There are many common theories,the most common being Big Freeze, Big Rip, Big Crunch, and Big Bounce.

Big Freeze: the Universe is predicted to expand forever, thinning out and cooling down.

Big Rip: more dramatic version wherein everything will be ripped apart, including atoms.

Big Crunch: universal shrinking

Big Bounce: advocates of this theory believe that the Big Bang and Big Crunch are actually part of a repetitive sequence of events manifested by a model universe.

The Big Bang Diagram explaining what has happened over the course of 13 billion years.



What Is Happening To Space Exploration & Research?

The public has lost interest in space programs and has become apprehensive with allowing their tax dollars and personal donations to contribute to further astronomical investigations. Even with all the significant discoveries and breakthroughs that have been found through the WMAP, cosmologists have concurred that the public probably doesn’t know the extensive information that the WMAP has given to us. If the public were aware of the significance that this probe holds to discovering more about our mysterious universe, they would probably be much more willing to aid in exploration.

The Past, Present, and Future of our Universe

Without studies and exploration funded by society, we would know little to nothing about our surrounding universe. The universe continues to expand by the second, and it’s important to know what surrounds us in not only our galaxy, but our universe as well. How would we know if live could be sustained somewhere else without the exploration of our universe?

Because of these explorations…

Past Breakthroughs: 

• We have discovered massive quasars that defy scientific theory. 
• We’ve found a planet about the same size of Earth in neighboring solar system – we are looking into this planet to see if life is sustainable on it.
• The smallest and the most massive galaxy clusters have been found – along with other solar systems.
• We have discovered extremely far away bodies.

Current Projects:

• We are continuing research in all Earth-like planets neighboring us to see if there is truly life in other places of the universe.
• We are continuing to span farther and farther into space, allowing us to go so far, that we can actually see back in time.

Future Predicted Breakthroughs:

• Can infer that the universe will end in approximately 20 billion years.
• Entropy will end the universe. (Entropy simply means that the material universe slowly continues to lose mass)

More on the WMAP

The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe is classified as one of the marvels of the modern scientific age. The observations and conclusions have been stunning and extremely accurate. WMAP is the benchmark for almost every other cosmological measurement, and sets the bar extremely high for future experiment. 

A significant reason that this probe is said to be a ‘benchmark’ for all other measurements in cosmology is because its results were the most-cited scientific papers in the world across all scientific disciplines. It wasn’t the most-cited for one year, but for four years (2003, 2007, 2009, and 2011).