Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery of a massive collection of galaxy clusters, termed the “Quipu Superstructure,” which is the largest accurately measured cosmic structure to date, stretching approximately 1.4 billion light-years. Coordinated by Hansböhringer from the Max Planck Institute, the research utilized data from the Rosat X-Ray Satellite to create three-dimensional maps of clusters within a distance of 416-826 million light-years. This discovery challenges previous understandings of cosmic structure and underlines how matter is distributed across vast distances.
The name “Quipu” references an ancient Incan system of knotted strings used for record-keeping, reflecting humanity’s long history of organizing knowledge. The study notes that this superstructure influences fundamental aspects of cosmology and the interpretation of the universe’s expansion. Researchers aim to understand if similar patterns exist elsewhere in the universe and emphasize that ongoing studies will enhance our understanding of cosmic dynamics. The full findings are published in the Journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.
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