Why Does the Cosmic Microwave Background Appear to Be Slightly

question 2

Multiple Choice

Why does the cosmic microwave background appear to be slightly warmer in one direction in the sky and slightly cooler in the opposite direction?

• A) The warmer direction is the direction in which the Big Bang occurred; hence, astronomers are seeing the remnant of the explosion in this direction.
• B) The universe is younger in one direction and therefore warmer.
• C) The radiation in one direction is Doppler-shifted to shorter wavelengths by Earth's motion in space and to longer wavelengths in the other direction.
• D) Large amounts of matter in the warmer direction have focused the radiation slightly by gravitational lensing, making this direction appear hotter.

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