This satellite also allowed the scientists to find the age of the universe with great precision: 13.7 billion years.
Every radiation has a temperature associated with it. In the case o the background radiation resulting from the big bang, WMAP showed that it is between 2.7249 and 2.7251 degree Kelvin.
The radiation map looks like a collection of random dots that represent fluctuations, or irregularities, in the original cataclysm of the big bang after the universe was created. They are the "seeds" of what we know as stars and galaxies.
WMAP also helped to understand what the universe is made of. In the 20th century, scientists believed that the universe was made of about a hundred types of atoms arranged in a periodic chart (Mendeleev's) beginning with hydrogen. WMAP showed that the visible matter around us makes up about 4% of the total matter and energy in the universe (mainly hydrogen and helium with 0.03% of heavier elements). In fact, the universe is mainly made of invisible and unknown material (dark matter, 23%) as well as unknown energy (dark energy, 73%).
ii- The end of the universe
The WMAP satellite did not only give the scientists a picture of the early
universe, it also showed how our universe will die. The anti-gravity force
that caused the inflation will also be responsible for its death.
Initially, astronomers thought that the expansion of the universe would slow down. WMAP showed that the universe is accelerating with the result that the distances between galaxies are increasing. That increasing speed that pushes the galaxies apart is due to the 73% of dark energy present in the universe.
If nothing is done, or happens, in 150 billion years our Milky Way galaxy will be quite lonely as 99.99999% of all the galaxies will be outside the visible universe and, in consequence, their light will not reach us anymore. Only about 36 galaxies located in the Milky Way will still be visible because, due to their closeness, the gravity will be strong enough to prevent their expansion.
If the expansion goes on long enough, the universe will eventually die in a big freeze and intelligent life on earth will disappear s the temperature will go down to near zero degree Kelvin. Later on still, all stars will stop shinning as their nuclear fuel is exhausted. The universe will then be dad and cold, consisting of a cloud of drifting elementary particles.
iii- Any hope to escape?
When the environment changes, life must either leave, adapt, or die. It
cannot adapt to a deep freeze situation, so the only way for life to go
on is to escape from this universe. The alternative is to die.
It is possible that when the time comes to make a decision, the necessary technology will be available to escape from our universe towards a younger and hotter one. At that time people could perhaps also be able to build a "time warp" and travel back in their own past. Black holes are, in theory, a way out of our universe towards another one. But, today, this does not seem possible.
iv- The anti-gravity force
The WMAP satellite confirmed that a mysterious anti-gravity force is accelerating
the universe expansion. If this goes on for a long time, the universe will
be involved in a big freeze ending all life. This anti-gravity force is
proportional to the volume of the universe. The larger the universe becomes,
the more this anti-gravity force will push the galaxies apart and this increases
the volume of the universe. Finally our visible universe will consist of
the local 36 galaxies present in the Milky Way, the other being over our
visible event horizon. The temperature will drop to near zero absolute and
the earth's inhabitants will freeze to death.
The world will have gone through three stages: the big bang and the rise
of life; the exploration of stars and galaxies; the final death due to the
big freeze.