[Picture showing a Delta rocket taking off] [Picture of the COBE satellite]

COBE Archives Page

The COBE satellite was developed by NASA to measure the diffuse infrared and microwave radiation from the early universe, to the limits set by our astrophysical environment. It was launched November 18, 1989 and carried three instruments, a Far Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer (FIRAS) to compare the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background radiation with a precise blackbody, a Differential Microwave Radiometer (DMR) to map the cosmic radiation precisely, and a Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) to search for the cosmic infrared background radiation. The cosmic microwave background spectrum was measured with a precision of 0.03%, the background was found to have intrinsic anisotropy for the first time, at a level of a part in 10^5, and absolute sky brightness maps from 1.25 microns to 240 microns have been obtained to carry out the search for the cosmic infrared background.

Please include the following statement in your publication acknowledgments:

The COBE datasets were developed by NASA funding and resources through the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center under the guidance of the COBE Science Working Group and were provided by the NSSDC.

General Information

[Red bullet] What's new?
[Red bullet] Satellite image showing locations of instruments
[Red bullet] The COBE Mission Design, Spacecraft, and Orbit
[Red bullet] Bibliography of COBE Team Publications
[Red bullet] Publications that refer to COBE results (PostScript)
[Red bullet] The quadrilateralized spherical cube projection
[Red bullet] COBE analysis software
[Red bullet] Other relevant software and information about FITS
[Red bullet] Other related data sets

Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE)

[Red bullet] About DIRBE
[Red bullet] About the data products
[Red bullet] Explanatory Supplement
[Red bullet] Small Source Spectral Energy Distribution Browser
[Red bullet] Block diagram showing the light path
[Red bullet] Photo of DIRBE test unit
[Red bullet] Images depicting the data products
[Red bullet] Get Data

Differential Microwave Radiometers (DMR)

[Red bullet] About DMR
[Red bullet] About the data products
[Red bullet] Explanatory Supplement
[Red bullet] Block diagram showing signal flow
[Red bullet] Photo of 31.5 GHz DMR receiver partially assembled
[Red bullet] Images of the data products
[Red bullet] Get Four-year Sky Maps (FITS binary tables)
[Red bullet] Get Analyzed Science Data Sets (FITS binary tables)

Far Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer (FIRAS)

[Red bullet] About FIRAS
[Red bullet] About the data products
[Red bullet] Explanatory Supplement
[Red bullet] Block diagram showing FIRAS interferometer concept
[Red bullet] Photo of FIRAS horn antenna
[Red bullet] Photo of FIRAS test unit
[Red bullet] Images depicting scientific results
[Red bullet] Get Project Data Sets (FITS binary tables)
[Red bullet] Get Analyzed Science Data Sets (FITS binary tables)

For further information about COBE data contact:

David Leisawitz, leisawitz@stars.gsfc.nasa.gov
Astrophysics Data Facility, Code 631, NASA/GSFC
Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA

Last revised: 27 March 1996

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