Proposed experimental test of cosmological theory by infrared measurements

Because the spectral distribution of energy from more distant galaxies is progressively shifted to longer wavelengths by the red shift, infrared astronomy holds promise of providing new information for investigating the various theories of cosmology. When the anticipated infrared flux density is related to our present instrumentation capability it appears that important conclusions can be drawn from relatively simple measurements taken with special radiometers carried above the earth's atmosphere by rockets. From this vantage point measurements of the infrared flux coming from selected dark regions of the night sky are reasonably typical of deep space and should tell us whether the universe is in a steady state or whether it has evolved from a much denser configuration.