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SCIENCE REPORT - March 21, 2002: Color of the Universe
By George Grow
This is the VOA Special English SCIENCE REPORT.
What is the color of the universe? Astronomers
had not answered this question until two months ago. That is when two
American astronomers reported on their study of all the light in the
universe. They said that the universe would appear to the human eye
to be a light greenish color, called turquoise.
Karl Glazebrook and Ivan Baldry of Johns Hopkins
University in Baltimore, Maryland, reported their finding in January.
They presented research at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
They said that finding the color of the universe was not part of their
more serious scientific research. They did it for fun.
However, earlier this month, the scientists
admitted to making a mistake. They said their finding was much more
colorful than it should have been. They now say the light from our universe
is closer to white. It is more like a milky or creamy white color.
Their study attempted to show what people might
see if they could observe the universe from far away. The scientists
found the average color by combining light from about two-hundred-thousand
star systems. Their information came from an observatory in New South
Wales, Australia.
The scientists gave a number value to the colors
of the different star systems. Then they added the numbers together
and found the average measurement. The scientists used this average
to identify the color of the universe. They said it was a very pretty
light green 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 the result. Mark Fairchild of the Rochester Institute of
Technology in New York was the first person to identify a mistake. He
discovered a mistake in the computer software program used by the Johns
Hopkins scientists.
When the mistake was corrected, the results
changed. The new color of the universe is much less colorful. It is
very close to white.
The scientists have apologized for the mistake.
They are now working with the Rochester Institute of Technology to produce
more images of the color of the universe.
They also asked for suggestions for a name for
the new color of the universe.
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