Largest structure in known universe discovered, 13,000 times longer than Milky Way
Astronomers have identified what could be the largest structure ever observed in the known universe—a vast network of galaxy clusters and superclusters containing an astonishing 200 quadrillion solar masses. Named Quipu, the structure takes inspiration from the ancient Incan system of recording numbers using knotted cords.
Much like a Quipu cord, the structure is intricate, consisting of a central filament with multiple branching strands. Spanning approximately 1.3 billion light-years—over 13,000 times the length of the Milky Way—it may be the longest known structure in the universe, surpassing previous record-holders like the Laniākea supercluster.
According to the scientific team which made the discovery, Quipu stands out as a highly prominent structure that is easily visible in a sky map of galaxy clusters within the target redshift range, even without specialized detection methods.
The research is part of an ongoing effort to map the universe's matter distribution across different wavelengths of light. Distant cosmic structures appear shifted toward the red part of the spectrum, a phenomenon called redshift. While objects with a redshift up to 0.3 are well-mapped, this study focuses on those between 0.3 and 0.6—meaning even farther away.
The largest superstructure discovered in the researchers' datasets was Quipu, but they also found four other massive structures. The Shapley supercluster, once considered the largest, has now been overtaken by Quipu and three others: the Serpens-Corona Borealis superstructure, the Hercules supercluster, and the Sculptor-Pegasus superstructure, which stretches between the two constellations.
The structures in the new study were found between 425 million and 815 million light-years from Earth. Previous research suggests that even larger structures may exist farther out in the universe. Currently, the Hercules Corona-Borealis Great Wall, a massive concentration of matter about 10 billion light-years away, holds the title for the largest known structure, though its existence is still debated.
Researchers also observed how these superstructures influence the broader universe. They affect the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the radiation leftover from the Big Bang, which is spread evenly across space.
The team found that the velocity of galaxy streams in these superstructures can distort measurements of the universe's expansion, known as the Hubble constant. Additionally, the immense gravitational pull of these structures can cause gravitational lensing, bending light and distorting distant sky images.
The study noted that future research could explore how these large-scale structures have influenced galaxy evolution. While these structures are temporary, as the universe's expansion gradually pulls clusters apart, their immense size makes them significant.
"In the future cosmic evolution, these superstructures are bound to break up into several collapsing units. They are thus transient configurations. But at present they are special physical entities with characteristic properties and special cosmic environments deserving special attention," the researchers observed.
Thus, the five superstructures also account for 45% of the galaxy clusters, 30% of the galaxies, and 25% of the matter in the observable universe, making up 13% of the universe's total volume.
The study has been published in the open-access pre-print website arXiv.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
5 days ago
- New York Post
Doctors near HIV cure with ‘previously impossible' discovery: ‘We have never seen anything close to as good'
An estimated 39 million people around the world are living with HIV — and, while treatment options can ensure they have long, healthy lives, there is no known cure. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) — the most effective current treatment — can reduce HIV levels in the body so low the virus is almost undetectable. An estimated 39 million people around the world are living with HIV. dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images However, the fact that the virus can hide in certain white blood cells has been a major hurdle in fully eradicating it. Now, researchers in Australia have developed a novel lipid nanoparticle, dubbed LNP X, capable of delivering mRNA into these elusive cells. Once inside, the mRNA instructs the cells to reveal the concealed virus, potentially allowing the immune system or additional therapies to target and destroy it. Paula Cevaal, research fellow at the Doherty Institute and co-first author of the study, told the Guardian that this remarkable scientific feat was 'previously thought impossible.' 'In the field of biomedicine, many things eventually don't make it into the clinic — that is the unfortunate truth; I don't want to paint a prettier picture than what is the reality,' Cevaal said. Researchers in Australia have developed a novel lipid nanoparticle, dubbed LNP X, capable of delivering mRNA into white blood cells harboring HIV (pictured here). Corona Borealis – 'But in terms of specifically the field of HIV cure, we have never seen anything close to as good as what we are seeing, in terms of how well we are able to reveal this virus,' Cevaal added. 'So from that point of view, we're very hopeful that we are also able to see this type of response in an animal, and that we could eventually do this in humans.' The results were published last week in the journal Nature Communications. While it could take years to get to human clinical trials — the implications are enormous. The findings add to the latest scientific advancements that suggest a cure for HIV could be on the horizon. Last year, researchers in Amsterdam used gene-editing technology to eliminate all traces of the virus from cells in the laboratory. And last July, a 60-year-old German man was declared HIV-free, making him the seventh person to be cured.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
University of Michigan researchers develop nation's most powerful laser
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed the nation's most powerful laser. The latest design has nearly doubled the peak power of any other laser in the country. The team recently conducted its first successful experiment measured at 2 petawatts — 2 quadrillion watts — which is more than 100 times the global electricity output. Sign up for the News 8 daily newsletter That giant number is matched with something almost equally as small. The power surge is an extremely brief pulse, lasting just 25 quintillionths of a second. The laser, known as the Zettawatt-Equivalent Ultrashort pulse laser system or , is managed by U-M's and supported by the National Science Foundation. Karl Krushelnick, the director of the CUOS, said this latest milestone 'marks the beginning of experiments that move into unexplored territory for American high field science.' Researchers expect the advancements could be applied to several different fields, including medicine, national security and astrophysics. Since it is supported by the NSF, research teams from all over the world can submit experiment proposals for ZEUS. Franklin Dollar, a professor at the University of California-Irvine, is set to lead an experiment at the new power level. 'One of the great things about ZEUS is it's not just one big laser hammer. You can split the light into multiple beams,' he said in a . 'Having a national resource like this, which awards time to users whose experimental concepts are most promising for advancing scientific priorities, is really bringing high-intensity laser science back to the U.S.' University of Michigan launches new $7 billion fundraising campaign CUOS says 'the road to 2 petawatts' has been a long one. The previous laser system, HERCULES, got up to 300 terawatts. ZEUS helped them jump to 1 petawatt. The ZEUS team has already spent more than a year running experiments at that level. ZEUS requires many special pieces to make it work, including a 7-inch sapphire crystal that is infused with titanium atoms. ZEUS project manager Franko Bayer says they are already working on another one that will help them get even stronger. 'The crystal that we're going to get in the summer will get us to 3 petawatts, and it took four-and-a-half years to manufacture,' Bayer said in the blog post. 'The size of the titanium sapphire crystal we have, there are only a few in the world.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
The US test fired its most power laser ever
A laser named after the most powerful god in ancient Greece is living up to its name. According to the University of Michigan, the first official experiment from the Zettawatt-Equivalent Ultrashort pulse laser System (ZEUS) yielded 2 petawatts (2 quadrillion watts) of power. For reference, that's more than 100 times the electricity output across the entire planet—but you'll likely miss it if you blink. The school gym-sized ZEUS is the successor to the university's HERCULES system, which topped out at 300 terawatts. ZEUS relied on a reconfigured target for its debut demonstration, which required firing a laser pulse at a cell containing helium. The subsequent interaction produced plasma as it tore electrons away from the helium atoms, resulting in a mixture of both positive ions and free electrons. The electrons started gaining speed behind the laser pulse in a phenomenon known as wakefield acceleration. Because light moves slower in plasma, the electrons can catch up to the laser beam. Those free electrons also get more time to speed up given the size of the target chamber and thereby hit higher speeds. The recent demonstration is a prelude to the signature ZEUS experiment scheduled for later this year. In that test, the accelerating electrons will also smack into laser pulses coming from the opposite direction. This is where things get (even) more complicated—but to condense it down, the effect makes a 3-petawatt laser appear one million times more powerful, hence the 'zettawatt-equivalent' in ZEUS' name. Accomplishing this and other experimental feats does require some safeguards. ZEUS includes optical devices known as diffraction gratings that stretch out the initial infrared pulse over time. This ensures the initial power doesn't get so intense that it begins tearing apart the air around it. Another goal is to ultimately create beams of electrons with energies similar to those found in particle accelerators hundreds of feet longer than ZEUS at a fraction of both its size and operating costs. At only $16 million to construct, the University of Michigan previously described the machine as a 'bargain.' Years of construction, calibration, and expertise is showcased in an astoundingly short amount of time. ZEUS' 2 petawatt firing lasted just 25 quintillionths of a second. But future experiments will make the most of these moments. 'The fundamental research done at the NSF ZEUS facility has many possible applications, including better imaging methods for soft tissues and advancing the technology used to treat cancer and other diseases,' explained Vyacheslav Lukin, program director in the National Science d Division of Physics, which is responsible for the ZEUS project. Meanwhile, ZEUS experiments could also help researchers explore the dynamics of positron jets that shoot out of black holes, or how gamma ray bursts operate. 'One of the great things about ZEUS is it's not just one big laser hammer, but you can split the light into multiple beams,' said Franklin Dollar, a University of California professor of physics and astronomy who oversaw the 2 petawatt experiment. 'Having a national resource like this, which awards time to users whose experimental concepts are most promising for advancing scientific priorities, is really bringing high-intensity laser science back to the U.S.'
