Newly identified galactic supercluster is home to the Milky Way. Astronomers using the Green Bank Telescope - among other telescopes - have determined that our own Milky Way galaxy is part of a newly identified #ginormous #supercluster of galaxies, which they have dubbed #Laniakea, which means immense heaven in Hawaiian. By mapping the velocities of galaxies throughout our local Universe, the team was able to define the region of space where each supercluster dominates. >> This so-called Laniakea Supercluster is 500 million light-years in diameter and contains the mass of 100 million billion Suns spread across 100,000 galaxies. This study also clarifies the role of the #Great #Attractor, a gravitational focal point in intergalactic space that influences the motion of our Local Group of galaxies and other galaxy clusters. >>Within Laniakea Supercluster, galaxy #motions are directed #inward. The Great Attractor region is a large flat bottom gravitational #valley with a sphere of #attraction that extends across the Laniakea Supercluster. https://public.nrao.edu/news/pressreleases/supercluster-gbt
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 14:15:55 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015