Laniakea supercluster. Abstract illustration representing the Laniakea supercluster, which includes our own Milky Way. Scientists at the University of
Laniakea supercluster. Abstract illustration representing the Laniakea supercluster, which includes our own Milky Way. Scientists at the University of Hawaii have examined the velocities of galaxies in unprecedented detail, showing in the process that Laniakea is much bigger than originally thought. It has the mass of 100 million billion solar masses and spans over 500 million light-years of extragalactic space. Each dot in this image is a galaxy, with 100,000 in total - each containing millions to trillions of stars. The contour lines are velocity flows, which indicate the direction that galaxies are moving through the supercluster under the combined gravity of all of that matter.
Size: 4038px × 4807px
Photo credit: © CLAUS LUNAU/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -, abstract, artwork, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, background, black, concept, concepts, conceptual, contour, effect, effects, extragalactic, flow, flows, galactic, galaxies, galaxy, gravitational, gravity, hawaii, illustration, line, lines, massive, matter, milky, motion, moving, observation, space, university, velocities, velocity
