Astronomers discover largest superstructure in cosmos
According to the Smithsonian, the word “quipu” comes from the Quechua word for “knot,” which were llama hair strands used by the Inka Empire.
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A team of international astronomers has identified what is believed to be the largest known superstructure in the cosmos, a discovery that could reshape our understanding of outer space.
According to the scientists on the team, the discovery was made by ROAST, a German-operated satellite telescope, and the superstructure has been named "Quipu."
Quipu is estimated to span an astonishing 1.4 billion light-years in width and contains approximately 68 galaxy clusters.
"If you look at the distribution of the galaxy clusters in the sky within a spherical shell, ranging from 416 to 826 million light-years, you immediately notice a massive structure that stretches from high northern latitudes to nearly the southern end of the sky," Hans Böhringer, the project leader, explained in a statement.
This discovery surpasses the size of the Sloan Great Wall, a galaxy cluster that measured around 1.1 billion light-years in length and was discovered in 2003.
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Scientists noted that the newly discovered structure resembles an ancient script, with long fiber strands woven throughout. This visual similarity led to its name "Quipu," which is derived from the Incan word for knot.
The scientists also chose the name due to the European Southern Observatory in Chile playing a role in the discovery, which is near the former home of the Inca Empire.
By detecting radiation emitted by the galaxy clusters, scientists were able to confirm the presence of at least four other superstructures nearby.
These structures are thought to account for 45% of galaxy clusters, 30% of galaxies and 25% of the matter in the universe.
"For a precise determination of cosmological parameters, we need to understand the effects of the local large-scale structure of the universe on the measurements," researchers stated.
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The superstructures are believed to be vast enough to distort the light from distant objects, but scientists warn they won’t last indefinitely and will eventually break apart as part of their natural evolution.
The discovery is seen as a significant step forward in mapping out the multiverse but likely won’t be the last time that a superstructure is discovered.
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