Eastern end of Great Sloan Wall . Images of galaxies are enlarged by 50x relative to the distances between them.
To show galaxies at their true separation would require an image 125 feet long. Image Credit: Hofstetter and Gott
To show galaxies at their true separation would require an image 125 feet long. Image Credit: Hofstetter and Gott
The Large Quasar Group Anomaly
The Anomaly
Up until recently, the largest structure in the universe was the Great Sloan Wall, a large grouping of galaxies, a portion of which is pictured above. It was discovered by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which produced a 3 dimensional map of the layout of galaxies within several billion light years of the earth. With an overall length of 1.2 billion light years, the size of the Great Sloan Wall stretched the limits of what had been allowed under the Cosmological Principal of homogeneity. In January 2013, however, the University of Lancashire announced the results of a study that eclipsed the universe's Great Sloan Wall and then some.
Near the outer 'edge' of our observable universe lies an anomalous grouping of 73 quasars that seemingly undermines the Cosmological Principle. The concept of homogeneity for our universe allows for structures up to 1.2 billion light years in size. However, this particular cluster of matter appears to be spanning over 4 billion light years at its widest point. If an accurate representation, it would be, hands down, the largest structure in the universe and would raise a number of important questions.
Up until recently, the largest structure in the universe was the Great Sloan Wall, a large grouping of galaxies, a portion of which is pictured above. It was discovered by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which produced a 3 dimensional map of the layout of galaxies within several billion light years of the earth. With an overall length of 1.2 billion light years, the size of the Great Sloan Wall stretched the limits of what had been allowed under the Cosmological Principal of homogeneity. In January 2013, however, the University of Lancashire announced the results of a study that eclipsed the universe's Great Sloan Wall and then some.
Near the outer 'edge' of our observable universe lies an anomalous grouping of 73 quasars that seemingly undermines the Cosmological Principle. The concept of homogeneity for our universe allows for structures up to 1.2 billion light years in size. However, this particular cluster of matter appears to be spanning over 4 billion light years at its widest point. If an accurate representation, it would be, hands down, the largest structure in the universe and would raise a number of important questions.
The Argument
The existence of structures of the magnitude of the large quasar group is theoretically impossible under the Cosmological Principle, a keystone in the current model of the flat universe. Homogeneity, one of the two pillars of the Cosmological Principle, dictates that cosmological structures have a size limit of no more than 1.2 billion light-years. If this quasar group is, in fact, as large a structure as it appears to be, it would mean that the universe is not homogeneous. If the universe is not homogeneous, then the current flat model is simply no longer viable.
The existence of structures of the magnitude of the large quasar group is theoretically impossible under the Cosmological Principle, a keystone in the current model of the flat universe. Homogeneity, one of the two pillars of the Cosmological Principle, dictates that cosmological structures have a size limit of no more than 1.2 billion light-years. If this quasar group is, in fact, as large a structure as it appears to be, it would mean that the universe is not homogeneous. If the universe is not homogeneous, then the current flat model is simply no longer viable.
