COBE Observations and Results

This paper summarizes the results from the COBE satellite mission. Nine years have passed since the launch of COBE and six years since the announcement of the discovery of cosmic microwave background anisotropies by the COBE DMR instrument. This is still a relatively short time to look back and understand the implications of COBE and the anisotropy discovery; however, this 3K Cosmology Conference provides some context. The Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite has made a major contribution to the field of cosmology and has help create the confidence and high level of interest that propels the field today. Two major CMB observations, the thermal spectrum of the CMB and the CMB anisotropies, plus a host of other observations and conclusions are the basis and a major but not exclusive portion of the legacy of COBE. The recent detection and observation of the cosmic infrared background (CIB) are also part of COBE’s major contribution to cosmology. Subject headings: cosmic microwave background – cosmology – – artificial satellites, space probes