The observable universe we live in is so big that it accommodates billions upon billions of bodies. However, these celestial objects are not of the same size, as some tend to appear bigger than others. Since the 17th century, astronomers have continued to study the universe with the aid of telescopes, binoculars, and other modern devices. These astronomical devices enabled our scientists to discover the largest known object in the Cosmos. So, what is the biggest thing in the Universe and how was it discovered? Continue reading to find out.
What is the biggest thing in the universe?
The Universe provides enough space to accommodate galaxies, stars, planets, black holes, wormholes, and other bodies. However, these bodies are not made up of the same size. In fact, some bodies appear like tiny dots before others. But in all these bodies, one of them appears the biggest in size and shape. The biggest thing in the universe known to mankind is the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall. You may be hearing this name for the first time, but you are about to understand why it retains the title of the biggest known object in the universe.
What is the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall?
Hercules- Corona Borealis Great Wall is a supercluster of galaxies that is about 10 billion light years in length. This galactic filament comprises a group of galaxies held together by gravity. It lies at a distant path of the Cosmos. Astronomers used its structure and appearance to conclude that Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall was formed four billion years after the big bang.
Its gigantic size beats The Huge Large Quasar Group, a cluster of 73 quasars that has held the record of the biggest thing in the universe for years. The Huge LQG is about 4 billion light years in length, while Hercules- Corona Borealis Great is about 10 billion light years in length.
This implies that this supercluster of galaxies is more than double the size of the Huge Large Quasar Group. Keep in mind that the observable universe is about 93 billion light years in diameter. This implies that the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall covers up to 11 percent of the Observable universe.
How was the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall discovered?
In November 2013, a team of American and Hungarian astronomers discovered the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall while studying the data obtained from the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission and ground-based observatories. These astronomers were astonished by the gigantic structure of this object that they decided to name it the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall.
They were able to discover this supermassive structure by mapping gamma-ray bursts coming from the group of galaxies that made up the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall. Astronomers have taken advantage of gamma-ray bursts to determine the amount of matter contained in a particular region. Astronomers also discovered that it lies within the Northern Hemisphere, a region that is centered on the border of the constellations Draco and Hercules.
The Hercules Corona Borealis Great Wall has around 19 gamma-ray bursts with redshifts that spans between 1.6 and 2.1. The existence of the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall has continued to surprise our astronomers, as they imagine how such a gigantic structure could exist in the universe.
But did everyone support the discovery of this gigantic structure? However, not everyone stood with the astronomers that made this fascinating discovery. In 2020, a paper released by the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society doubts the existence of the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall. However, the original team that made the discovery countered this claim and released a publication supporting their 2013 discovery.
Conclusion
The Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall has remained the biggest known single entity of human existence. We still have limited knowledge about its existence. But future technologies will surely improve our knowledge about the gigantic size of this object.
awesome
This article was truly enjoyable, thank you! Fantastic job!