In the mid-1960's Penzias and Wilson of Bell Labs serendipitously discovered the cosmic background radiation (CBR), the so-called "afterglow" of the big bang, now considered one of the three pillars of evidence on which big bang cosmology rests (along with uniform expansion of the universe and the abundances of hydrogen and helium).
They were calibrating a radio horn receiver while studying the Milky Way, but unable to eliminate the source of "noise" that seemed to be coming from all directions, eventually attributable to CBR.
Here are two of many web articles on the subject: link#1, link#2
Although not mentioned in these articles, I once heard that the team diplomatically referred to the pigeon poop as a "dielectric substance."
Posts: 2065 | Location: U.S. | Registered: 06-03-02
Penzias & Wilson's found the first recognized evidence of cosmic background radiation. With help from Dicke, who is often (including in that first link) incorrectly credited with predicting it.
In fact, Various papers by Alpher, Gamow, Herman, and Bethe had predicted it (as well at the hydrogen and helium abundances Professor notes) decades earlier.
The radiation had also been observed several times, but no one had recognized it for what it was until Penzias, Wilson, & Dicke.
