Astronomers from Tartu Observatory of the University of Tartu, leading an international team of scientists, have made a groundbreaking discovery of numerous superclusters in the universe. The most remarkable of these is the ‘Einasto Supercluster,’ named in honor of Prof. Jaan Einasto, a trailblazer in the field, who recently celebrated his 95th birthday.
The scientists’ study revealed that the typical mass of superclusters is an astounding 6 million times billion that of the sun, with an average size of 200 million light-years. To put this into perspective, these superclusters are approximately 2,000 times larger than our own Milky Way galaxy.
Visualize a 2 euro coin on a football field representing the size of the Milky Way, and the length of the field symbolizing the vast expanse of a supercluster. In terms of mass, a golf ball equating to the sun makes a supercluster’s mass correspond to Mount Everest—a testament to their immense dimensions.
The Einasto Supercluster, the most massive among those discovered, is located about 3 billion light-years away from the Earth. This colossal structure contains the mass equivalent of around 26 million times billion suns.
Its enormous size can be appreciated by the fact that if a light ray starts from one end of the Einasto Supercluster, it will take 360 million years to reach its other end. Prof. Jaan Einasto’s significant contributions to the study of superclusters make it fitting to name this particular discovery in his honor.
2024-03-15 16:00:04
Article from phys.org