LATEST COBE RESULTS

The latest results on the spectrum and anisotropy of the microwave bac kground from the COsmic Background Explorer (COBE) are discussed. The RMS deviation of the spectrum from st 2.728 +/- 0.004 K [95% CL] Planc k function is less than 50 parts pm million of the peak intensity. Ene rgy added to the CMBR by hot electrons (y and mu distortions) is less than 60 parts per million [95% CL] of the total CMBR energy for all ti mes later than 1 year after the Big Bang. The anisotropy of the CMBR i s consistent with a power law power spectrum of primordial density per turbations with P(k) proportional to k(n), and the spectral index n = 1.2 +/- 0.3 (1 sigma), consistent with the n approximate to 1 predicte d by inflation. The amplitude of power spectrum gives an expected RMS quadrupole of (Q(RMS)(2))(0.5) = 18 mu K if n is forced to be 1.