The Earth is just a tiny speck in the grand scheme of the universe, orbiting an average star known as the Sun. However, the Sun itself is just one of billions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy. Beyond the Milky Way lies the Laniakea Supercluster, a massive structure that spans an astonishing 250 million light years.
The Laniakea Supercluster is home to at least 100,000 galaxies, each containing countless stars and other celestial bodies. But the enormity of superclusters doesn’t end there. The Einasto Supercluster, recently discovered, extends a mind-boggling 360 million light years and is inhabited by a staggering 26 quadrillion stars! These superclusters are among the largest structures in the entire Universe.
Galaxies, much like cities, are simply collections of various celestial objects that are held together by the force of gravity. Remove the stars, planets, and other components, and a galaxy ceases to exist. The same principle applies to superclusters, which are massive collections of galaxies bound together by gravity. While they may seem permanent, superclusters are actually temporary, changing phenomena in the vast expanse of space.
The Einasto Supercluster, named after Professor Jaan Einasto, is a testament to the boundless complexity and beauty of the universe. Professor Einasto, a pioneer in the study of superclusters, celebrated his 95th birthday in February 2024, just as this incredible discovery was made. Visualizing the size of these superclusters can be mind-boggling, with the Milky Way Galaxy being represented by a coin on a football pitch and the supercluster itself stretching to the length of the pitch.
Despite their immense size and gravitational pull, superclusters are not permanent fixtures in the cosmos. The gravitational forces that bind them together also act as a brake on their expansion, but not enough to prevent galaxies from eventually drifting apart. Researchers have found that there is an inverse square relationship between the density and size of a supercluster, with density decreasing as the square of its size increases.
The exploration of superclusters in the universe sheds light on the awe-inspiring scale and complexity of the cosmos. From the vast expanse of the Laniakea Supercluster to the newly discovered Einasto Supercluster, these colossal structures serve as a reminder of the infinitesimal nature of our own existence in the grand tapestry of the universe.
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