Key conclusions on the largest object in the universe
- The largest objects in the universe are clusters of galaxies, such as SuperClUster, in which we live right now, including Abell 370, which was captured in the extensive spacing space of the Hubble space telescope in 2017.
- According to NASA, the largest galaxies can cover more than a million light years. Even more than the Galaxy clusters, are superclusters, such as Laniakea – although these superclists, as a rule, have weaker gravitational attachments.
Closers of galaxies, similar to those in which we live, can become the largest objects in the universe.
In our vast cosmic district, we occupy a tiny spots in the remote spiral hands of the Milky Way galaxy on Earth. But our Milky Way is just one of thousands of other galaxies that make up Colossal superclterThis structure covers hundreds of millions of light years, which scientists called Laniacaia or Hawaiian for “huge heaven.”
Huge events are constantly taking place in the universe: scientists saw supernova, gamma rays and black holes, colliding and sending ripples through space-time. But what about the largest objects?
According to Astrophysicist Alexei Filippenko, who is also an outstanding professor of astrophysicists at the University of California at the University of California at the University of California at the University of California at the University of California at the University of California at California University at California University at California at California at California at California University at the University of California at the University of California Alexei Filippenko.
Read more: Beware: objects in the universe are more than they seem
What is the largest object in the universe?
Scientists in 2010 I determined the candidates For the largest objects in the observed universe, there would be massive clusters of galaxies, including at that time, Abell 370, which was captured in an extensive brilliant space Hubble space telescope In 2017.
“There are clusters of galaxies, which are large groups of galaxies that have thousands or even tens of thousands of galaxies. They can cover several million to perhaps even 10 million light years in diameter, ”says Filippenko.
Although these clusters can contain hundreds of up to thousands of galaxies, they, as a rule, make up only a small part of the question in the cluster, according to Harvard and Smithsonian Center for AstrophysicsThe binding of these galaxies is not only their mutual gravitational attractiveness, but also mainly dark matter.
Dark matter is a mysterious and invisible, attractive force that holds these galaxies together, which provides enough strength to even bend the path of passing light.
“We think that there are six times more dark matter than there is visible matter, and the same applies to the galaxies themselves,” says Filippenko. “If it were only visible stars [gravitational force]Then these galaxies will not be connected together with gravity. But they are connected. “
How big can the galaxies get?
While the galaxies do not actually include most of the spaces inside larger clusters, the galaxies themselves also contain various cosmic ingredients: from stars to planets and gas clouds to cosmic dust.
The largest galaxies can cover more than a million light years in diameter, According to NASAThe field is even more than the Galaxy clusters are superclusters, such as Laniakea – although these superclists, as a rule, have weaker gravitational attachments.
Clusters formed over time
After the fiery beginning of the universe almost 14 billion years ago, the distribution of matter after the Big Bang was not uniform. Some regions remained denser than others, with some excessive dense, spreading to a large strip of space. These excessive areas sowed seeds for the formation of superclaster, billions of years later, since they gradually collected the question necessary for growth.
“Over time, gravity, which can be considered as this great sculptor of the universe, forced dense regions more dense, theft of material from insufficient regions,” says Filippenko. “Small excesses can turn out reasonably.”
These clusters spread throughout the universe, Contains building blocks larger cosmic structures and radiating light that astronomers can observe. But much more than the universe, in fact, invisibly, consists of exotic materials, such as attractive dark matter, and then repulsive dark energy.
Why is 95 percent of the universe invisible?
One of the most important results for the formation of astronomy in recent years is the discovery that the expansion of the universe does not slow over time, but rather accelerate with an increase in speed.
Filippenko was a member of two separate teams of astronomers who did this Nobel Prize OpeningUsing supernova luminosity at a distance. Looking at the supernova, which should radiate certain levels of brightness at their distance, the researchers found that they were more wonderful than they should have been for where they were.
Based on these observations, scientists determined that supernovae passed further than expected, which means that the fabric carrying them should have grown. As for what power can be responsible for this phenomenon, dark energy has entered the game.
“We are fastened with electromagnetic forces, and the Earth and the Sun are held due to gravity. But at the largest distances, more than 10 million lungs or more, the Universe is expanding, ”says Filippenko. “And this expands faster and faster from this dark energy.”
Currently, scientists believe that this mysterious dark energy is a significant majority of the universe, as a result of which the space expands out with time.
In addition to the view of the supernova, even observing the behavior of superclisters, in the visible, supports this theory, added Filippenko. The space between the superclates and even inside them also, in the same way, expands more than it should be. Although some expansion can be possible, without dark energy, such an expansion would not be so radical.
“The superclusters are large enough, for 100 million light years and are quite freely connected by gravity that the expansion of the universe should transfer them to the outside and expand them to some extent,” says Filippenko. “But Dark Energy contains these 100 million lungs, so this makes superclaster expand faster than they could.”
There are questions about dark energy and matter
Since dark matter and dark energy is completely invisible, scientists are still faced with the problem of detecting them – and confirm their existence. There are a number of ideas for the fact that they can be. Dark matter, for example, can be the remains of elementary particles from a large explosion, while Dark energy can occur From some fundamental, background energy in space.
“Perhaps these concepts of dark energy and dark matter are completely wrong,” says Filippenko. “This is possible, but they are the best that we now have as a physical explanation of what we see.”
An attempt to confirm the existence of such evasive materials is a constant problem, Filippenko says that the desire to understand these distant phenomena are valuable on their own. The study of the origin of the universe and what includes the fabric of the space in which we live can lead to other unforeseen discoveries – and in the meantime, he added, this is one of the most human things.
Read more: How great is the observed universe?
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