Einasto Supercluster: A New Heavyweight in the Universe
The universe never fails to surprise us with its vastness and complexity. Recently, a team of astronomers from Tartu University’s Tartu Observatory has discovered a new supercluster that is truly a heavyweight in the cosmos.
Known as the Einasto Supercluster, this giant structure is approximately 3 billion light-years away from Earth. What sets it apart is its massive size, with a total mass equivalent to a staggering 2,600 trillion times the mass of the sun. To put this into perspective, if a ray of light were to travel from one end of this supercluster to the other, it would take a mind-boggling 360 million years to complete the journey.
Superclusters are large-scale structures that are even larger than galaxy clusters and galaxy groups. The Laniakea Supercluster, which is already known to contain at least 100,000 galaxies, is just one example. However, the Einasto Supercluster surpasses even this, with a diameter of 360 million light-years.
The team of astronomers has made several intriguing discoveries about superclusters. For instance, they found that the speed at which galaxies within a supercluster move away from each other is slower than the overall expansion rate of the universe. This discrepancy is attributed to the gravity within the supercluster acting as a “brake” on the expansion, although ultimately, dark energy will prevail, causing galaxies to drift apart.
Furthermore, the researchers observed an inverse relationship between supercluster density and size, revealing that despite their massive mass, superclusters are actually less dense than individual galaxies due to their wide distribution.
The findings of this study have been published in The Astrophysical Journal, shedding light on the fascinating dynamics at play within these superclusters. As we continue to unravel the mysteries of the universe, discoveries like the Einasto Supercluster serve as a reminder of just how vast and awe-inspiring the cosmos truly is.