A supercluster of galaxies discovered by astronomers
ESO astronomers discovered a proto-superamas of galaxies that they named Hyperion. Containing the equivalent of one million billion solar masses, this cosmic giant surprises because it is not easy to understand its rapid birth, in just 2 billion years after the Big Bang.
“This is the first time that such an extensive structure has been identified at a time just 2 billion years after the Big Bang. Normally, this type of structure meets at lower redshifts, corresponding to more advanced stages in the formation of the Universe. It was a real surprise to note the existence of such an advanced structure within a relatively young Universe!” said Olga Cucciati.
Hyperion could be a key to understanding the formation of large structures.
Although its size is surprising, the clustering concentrations of filament-forming galaxies surrounding much less dense areas are not as pronounced as those observed in the more recent and less distant superclusters.
“Understanding Hyperion and comparing it to recent similar structures provides insight into the evolution of the most massive structures in the universe since a distant past, as well as the opportunity to test supercluster training models. The discovery of this cosmic giant reveals the past of these vast structures.”
