Astronomers just discovered a structure that's bigger than anything that's ever been found in the universe
Astronomers have discovered a wall in space so huge that even Donald Trump would be impressed by its size. The wall, aptly named the BOSS Great Wall after the international galaxy mapping effort Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey, marks the biggest cosmic structure ever observed in the universe. It's comprised of 830 separate galaxies, spans 1 billion light years across, and has a mass estimated to be 10,000 times greater than that of our own Milky Way.
But wait, a wall in space? Scientists explain that these walls, which are the biggest things in space, are formed when gravity pulls galaxies together forming superclusters. Those superclusters are then linked together by filaments of hot gas, forming walls that Smithsonian Magazine says resemble "a cosmic honeycomb."
The discovery of the BOSS Great Wall comes as researchers for Sloan Digital Sky Survey attempt to map space's web of walls to gain insight into the universe's past, its present size, and its future growth. And while the BOSS is big, what's even more surprising is that scientists think that even bigger structures are still out there.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks ground
Speed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The hunt for Planet Nine
Under The Radar Researchers seeking the elusive Earth-like planet beyond Neptune are narrowing down their search
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Blind people will listen to next week's total eclipse
Speed Read While they can't see the event, they can hear it with a device that translates the sky's brightness into music
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Melting polar ice is messing with global timekeeping
Speed Read Ice loss caused by climate change is slowing the Earth's rotation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
An amphibian that produces milk?
speed read Caecilians, worm-like amphibians that live underground, produce a milk-like substance for their hatchlings
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
We're in the golden age of space exploration
In depth To infinity and beyond!
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
All the major moon landings so far
The Explainer One giant leap for mankind
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Jupiter's Europa has less oxygen than hoped
speed read Scientists say this makes it less likely that Jupiter's moon harbors life
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Why February 29 is a leap day
Speed Read It all started with Julius Caesar
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published