Scientists Scan Gigantic Structure Hiding Behind Our Galaxy
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- In 2016, researchers discovered the Vela Supercluster, a massive collection of at least 20 galaxy clusters located about 800 million light-years away in the Zone of Avoidance, a region obscured by the Milky Way's dense dust and stars.
- A recent study using South Africa's Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) and MeerKAT radio telescope mapped the supercluster, revealing it spans roughly 300 million light-years and is about 3,000 times wider than the Milky Way.
- The Vela Supercluster contains an estimated mass equivalent to 30 quadrillion Suns, positioning it between other known superclusters like Laniākea and the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall in size and mass.
- Researchers used radio wavelengths to detect hydrogen gas in the supercluster, allowing them to peer through the Milky Way's dust and uncover hidden cosmic structures within the Zone of Avoidance.
- This discovery enhances our understanding of large-scale cosmic structures and could refine cosmological models, with future more powerful radio telescopes expected to provide even more detailed maps of the Vela Supercluster.
