[Science Report]:Color of the Universe


This is the VOA SpecialEnglish SCIENCE REPORT.

What is the color of the universe? Astronomers had not answeredthis question until two months ago. That is when two Americanastronomers reported on their study of all the light in theuniverse. They said that the universe would appear to the human eyeto be a light greenish color, called turquoise.

Before...
Before...

Karl Glazebrook and Ivan Baldry ofJohns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, reported theirfinding in January. They presented research at a meeting of theAmerican Astronomical Society. They said that finding the color ofthe universe was not part of their more serious scientific research.They did it for fun.

However, earlier this month, the scientists admitted to making amistake. They said their finding was much more colorful than itshould have been. They now say the light from our universe is closerto white. It is more like a milky or creamy white color.

...after.
...after.

Their study attempted to show whatpeople might see if they could observe the universe from far away.The scientists found the average color by combining light from abouttwo-hundred-thousand star systems. Their information came from anobservatory in New South Wales, Australia.

The scientists gave a number value to the colors of the differentstar systems. Then they added the numbers together and found theaverage measurement. The scientists used this average to identifythe color of the universe. They said it was a very pretty lightgreen or turquoise color. They called it "cosmic spectrum green."Many newspapers and television stations reported their finding.

Other scientists and color engineers attempted to reproduce theresult. Mark Fairchild of the Rochester Institute of Technology inNew York was the first person to identify a mistake. He discovered amistake in the computer software program used by the Johns Hopkinsscientists.

When the mistake was corrected, the results changed. The newcolor of the universe is much less colorful. It is very close towhite.

The scientists have apologized for the mistake. They are nowworking with the Rochester Institute of Technology to produce moreimages of the color of the universe.

They also asked for suggestions for a name for the new color ofthe universe.

This VOA Special English SCIENCE REPORT was written by GeorgeGrow.

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