Largest Structure in the (Known) Universe Discovered

[Freed Fox]

I could not find this already posted, so my apologies if it has been.

A large quasar group that stretches 4 billion lightyears (!) wide;

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50434185/ns/technology_and_science-space/

http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/130111-QuasarPhoto-hmed-0920p_files.grid-10x2.jpg

[WhiteFeather]

Awesome Find. And what a waste if we were the only capable planet that contained intelligent life. Sometimes i wonder if we are intelligent at all.

[ThePythonicCow]

Here's a slightly sharper image of this large quasar group (same size image, but a bit less fuzzy in the detail due to being a higher quality jpg image.)


http://thepythoniccow.us/large_quaesar_group_tumblr_mgh8esJEZX1r01w8mo1_1280.jpg

[Freed Fox]

Way to one-up me there, Paul. Thanks a bunch...




...
:cantina:
(just kidding of course, thanks)

[noxon medem]

..
-

Amazing .....

Thank you, very nice .

From OP linked article I found this
amuzing piece of wisdom from
the comments section :

Wow, I'm just glad I don't know anything about anything, otherwise I'd really be confused!

It is ... beautiful

..
-

nm

[Hervé]

Not sure, but, to me, it seems that the OP picture is more like an artist rendition of the quasar concept...

Here is another (composite) picture of NGC 6872 from a different source (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/11/astronomers-spot-biggest-structure-in-the-universe/) and possibly showing the location of the new behemoth champion:

Astronomers spot biggest structure in the universe
By Agence France-Presse
Friday, January 11, 2013 9:04 EST


http://www.rawstory.com/rs/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/A-composite-of-the-giant-barred-spiral-galaxy-NGC-6872-obtained-from-NASA-on-January-10-2013.-AFP-615x345.jpg
Topics: Jeremiah Horrocks Institute (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/tag/jeremiah-horrocks-institute/) ♦ Roger Clowes (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/tag/roger-clowes/) ♦ Royal Astronomical Society (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/tag/royal-astronomical-society/)


Astronomers on Friday said they had observed the largest structure yet seen in the cosmos, a cluster of galaxies from the early Universe that spans an astonishing four billion light years.

The sprawling structure is known as a large quasar group (LQG), in which quasars — the nuclei of ancient galaxies, powered by supermassive black holes — clump together.

The discovery in the deep Universe was made by a team led by Roger Clowes at the Jeremiah Horrocks Institute at Britain’s University of Central Lancashire.


From http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/11/largest-spiral-galaxy-ngc-6872_n_2455333.html:
Largest Spiral Galaxy Is Five Times Bigger Than Milky Way, NGC 6872 Study Suggests

Posted: 01/11/2013 8:23 am EST | Updated: 01/11/2013 8:23 am EST

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/936697/thumbs/r-LARGEST-SPIRAL-GALAXY-large570.jpg?7
This composite of the spiral galaxy NGC 6872 combines visible light images from the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope with far-ultraviolet data from NASA's GALEX and infrared data acquired by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.

By: Mike Wall
Published: 01/10/2013 05:30 PM EST on SPACE.com

Astronomers have crowned the universe's largest known spiral galaxy, a spectacular behemoth five times bigger than our own Milky Way.

The title-holder is now NGC 6872, a barred spiral found 212 million light-years away in the southern constellation Pavo, researchers announced today (Jan. 10). The distance between NGC 6872's two huge spiral arms is 522,000 light-years, compared to about 100,000 light-years for the Milky Way (http://www.space.com/14249-milkyway-galaxy-photos.html).

NGC 6872 has ranked among the largest known spiral galaxies for decades. But it has only now been crowned champion, after detailed study of data gathered by a number of instruments, including NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer spacecraft (http://www.space.com/15723-nasa-loans-galex-space-telescope-caltech.html), or GALEX.

[Hervé]

All right, mystery solve regarding the circled portion of NGC 6872:

From http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2260608/Colliding-galaxies-lead-biggest-spiral-seen-cosmos--astronomers-say-giving-birth-new-one.html:

Colliding galaxies lead to biggest spiral ever seen in the cosmos - and astronomers say it may be giving birth



New analysis shows NGC 6872 is the largest known spiral galaxy
It spans 522,000 light years - five times bigger than the Milky Way
Batch of fresh stars in one arm may have been caused by galactic collision


By Damien Gayle (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Damien+Gayle)
PUBLISHED: 08:57 GMT, 11 January 2013 | UPDATED: 12:03 GMT, 11 January 2013

Astronomers have discovered the biggest spiral galaxy yet seen - and say it may be now giving birth to a new, smaller galaxy thanks to a collision with another.
The spectacular barred spiral galaxy NGC 6872 has ranked among the biggest stellar systems for decades, but a new analysis has know crowned it the largest known spiral.
Measuring tip-to-tip across its two out-sized spiral arms, NGC 6872 spans more than 522,000 light years - more than five times bigger than the Milky Way.


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/01/11/article-0-16DF4D41000005DC-479_634x357.jpg

Giving birth: A previously unsuspected tidal dwarf galaxy candidate (circled) appears only in the ultraviolet off the north-west arm of NGC 6872 , indicating the presence of many hot young stars. IC 4970, the small disc galaxy interacting with NGC 6872, is located above the spiral's central region

And a comparatively recent collision with another galaxy may now be causing one outer arm of the spiral to spawn fresh stars that may eventually break away into new galaxy.

[...]
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No additional data on the biggest "structure" (not a galaxy) that spans 4 billion light years.

[Sidney]

OMG, the universe is SUCH a beautiful thing. Thank you so much for sharing freedfox!!! BTW love your avatar....................... : )

[Star Tsar]

OMG, the universe is SUCH a beautiful thing.

Yes I concur wholeheartedly it is my life's ambition to be able to explore its wonders!
If not me at least my Son!

[Deega]

Thanks Freed Fox, what an amazing quasar!, what a wonder we witness every day!, scientists with technologies will bring in more of these, great to learn of it!

[a1exanderga11ier]

Halton Arp's research (http://www.haltonarp.com/articles) concerning Quasars in general significantly challenges the Cosmological Principle (http://www.universeadventure.org/fundamentals/model-cosmological.htm), or the assumption that the universe expands in a uniform manner, possesses a symmetrical appearance regardless of an observer's perspective, and was initiated by a big bang event.

Here is a video clip from Plasma Cosmologists concerning the The Large Quasar Group (LQG).




_c9M33FLH40



As an interesting aside, The LQG is located towards the constellation of Leo.


http://www.dailygalaxy.com/.a/6a00d8341bf7f753ef017ee7487a34970d-500wi
Darker green denotes more quasar clusters, white less, and the circles represent the LQG.



http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/481118_412406222181581_1348478049_n.jpg
LQG in relation to Leo


A temple to the stars located at the exact center of landmass on Earth focuses on the constellations known to Western culture as Orion, Sirius, Draco, Ursa Major, and Leo.



http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/250668_351492021606335_953356069_n.jpg


The Architects of Giza aligned the Sphynx's gaze East along the 30th Parallel at the time that sunrise occured in the constellation of Leo -- approximately 10,500 BCE. This is the direction from which the Egyptians believed their gods had arrived, and to where they eventually departed prior to instituting pharaonic rule. Many "holy cities" associated with "the gods" are located on or close to this parallel worldwide.

[westhill]

Thanks a1exanderga11ier.
For anyone interested in finding out more about the electric universe here's the first of two videos.
You'll be glad you watched.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ThunderboltsProject

5AUA7XS0TvA