WMAP high resolution cosmic background imagery

The Wilkinsin Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) has some spectacular new imagery of the cosmic background radiation. The cosmic background radiation is the leftover "glow" of energy from the big bang. The lighter colors represent hotter areas in the background of the visible universe.




WMAP microwave sky image



A spherical mapping would be a nice background for EarthBrowser

Images courtesy of the NASA/WMAP Science Team

There are a number of microwave bands that could be used (K, Ka, Q, V, W). Now I just need to find the time to reproject them and, the hard part, put in a selection interface. Things like this will be so much easier to add to version 3.

Thanks to ccablog for the find!