Science & Nature · 2
What piece of equipment were Penzias and Wilson operating when they picked up the unexplained noise later identified as the Cosmic Microwave Background?
Answer
The Holmdel Horn Antenna
Penzias and Wilson were using the large horn-shaped antenna at Bell Labs' Holmdel, New Jersey facility, originally built for satellite communication research, when they detected the persistent microwave hiss that turned out to be relic radiation from the Big Bang.
💡 Did you know?
The Cosmic Microwave Background—proof of the Big Bang—was accidentally detected in 1964 by radio static that couldn't be eliminated from an antenna.
Other options people guess
- The Very Large Array
- The Arecibo Observatory
- The Parkes Radio Telescope
Topics
- space
- astronomy
- cosmology
- instruments
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