In the early 1960s, physicists named Penzias and Wilson detected a persistent noise at a wavelength of 1 mm in their radio telescope that came from all directions in the sky due to:
A) synchrotron emission from the Crab Nebula
B) emission from newly formed stars in the Orion Nebula
C) cellphone usage
D) photons left over from the Big Bang
E) television and radio broadcasting

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The persistent noise at a wavelength of 1 mm detected by Penzias and Wilson in their radio telescope that came from all directions in the sky corresponds to the cosmic microwave background radiation, which is believed to be the leftover radiation from the Big Bang. This discovery provided strong evidence to support the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe. Therefore, the best choice is D, photons left over from the Big Bang. The other options (A, B, C, and E) are not related to the cosmic microwave background radiation.

In the Early 1960s, Physicists Named Penzias and Wilson Detected