Largest structure in the universe
Got from another forum, truly fascinating:
Just goes to show, the more we think we know what is possible in our universe, the more we realize how little we truly know.
Large quasar group stretches 4 billion light-years, so big theory says it shouldn't exist
Astronomers have discovered the largest known structure in the universe, a clump of active galactic cores that stretches 4 billion light-years from end to end.
The structure is a large quasar group (LQG), a collection of extremely luminous galactic nuclei powered by supermassive central black holes. This particular group is so large that it challenges modern cosmological theory, researchers said.
"While it is difficult to fathom the scale of this LQG, we can say quite definitely it is the largest structure ever seen in the entire universe," lead author Roger Clowes, of the University of Central Lancashire in England, said in a statement. "This is hugely exciting, not least because it runs counter to our current understanding of the scale of the universe."
The newly discovered LQC is so enormous, in fact, that theory predicts it shouldn't exist, researchers said. The quasar group appears to violate a widely accepted assumption known as the cosmological principle, which holds that the universe is essentially homogeneous when viewed at a sufficiently large scale.
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Calculations suggest that structures larger than about 1.2 billion light-years should not exist, researchers said
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50434185/ns ... nce-space/
http://www.space.com/19227-biggest-stru ... aphic.html
Just goes to show, the more we think we know what is possible in our universe, the more we realize how little we truly know.
Large quasar group stretches 4 billion light-years, so big theory says it shouldn't exist
Astronomers have discovered the largest known structure in the universe, a clump of active galactic cores that stretches 4 billion light-years from end to end.
The structure is a large quasar group (LQG), a collection of extremely luminous galactic nuclei powered by supermassive central black holes. This particular group is so large that it challenges modern cosmological theory, researchers said.
"While it is difficult to fathom the scale of this LQG, we can say quite definitely it is the largest structure ever seen in the entire universe," lead author Roger Clowes, of the University of Central Lancashire in England, said in a statement. "This is hugely exciting, not least because it runs counter to our current understanding of the scale of the universe."
The newly discovered LQC is so enormous, in fact, that theory predicts it shouldn't exist, researchers said. The quasar group appears to violate a widely accepted assumption known as the cosmological principle, which holds that the universe is essentially homogeneous when viewed at a sufficiently large scale.
.
Calculations suggest that structures larger than about 1.2 billion light-years should not exist, researchers said
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50434185/ns ... nce-space/
http://www.space.com/19227-biggest-stru ... aphic.html
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