Microwave background radiation variation of the visible Universe, as observed by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). From the NASA/WMAP Science Team, via Wikimedia Commons.
I tend to focus on the terrestrial side of things here at Superoceras. Which is perfectly ok with me, Earth being such a dynamic, active planet. But beyond our tiny blue sphere is a vast and timeless Universe, the scope of which one can only begin to imagine (the best way to do so, in my opinion, is by walking along the "Scales of the Universe" exhibit at the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History in New York). The Universe is bigger and older than most can even fathom, and recently, it seems like I've been hearing quite a bit about it in the news. Maybe it's time to branch out a bit and talk about some of the papers I've recently come across in regards to events beyond our planet, with a little background added for flavor.
