Say hello to BOSS, a Massive Supercluster Complex hidden between the Stars
Discovered in 2016, the BOSS supercluster is the largest network of galaxies, clusters, and stars that we know about thus far
This news is not recent, but it’s something I personally wanted to write about. I discovered it while browsing Instagram last night, coming across Astrovia’s post about the BOSS supercluster complex. It sounds so beautiful, with the imagery just being simply outstanding. So far, it’s the largest structure in the universe we’ve discovered, according to the Smithsonian.
So let me introduce you to SDSS-III's Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey, nicknamed BOSS. Its task is to map several components in the universe, but it mostly focuses on LRGs (luminous red galaxies) and quasars. Here’s an image of how it uses sound waves to detect planets and other objects in the universe.
Now, in 2016, it detected a massive supercluster that we call the BOSS Great Wall. In it, there are clusters of galaxies, voids, filaments, and other astral objects. It’s a vast network that’s connected and moves together through the vastness of space. And it looks absolutely spectacular.
Before this discovery, the Sloan Great Wall was the largest structure we knew about. Discovered in 2003, it’s basically a massive wall of galaxies and filaments. While this one was 1.37 billion lightyears in length, the BOSS Great Wall is 6.8 billion lightyears long. That’s a massive difference!
As it stands, the BOSS supercluster complex has two superclusters that are elongated, two that are large, and several smaller superclusters. There hasn’t been much of an update on this recently, but I felt it was worth sharing it with you.
The Largest Structure In The Universe!
This gigantic supercluster is the largest known structure in the universe, it consists of 830 separate galaxies which are inside of 4 connected galaxy clusters.
The supercluster is known as the “BOSS”, the entire structure stretches… pic.twitter.com/9B8aUFWuDP
— Imtiaz Mahmood (@ImtiazMadmood) March 20, 2023
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That’s the only answer what the universe is. ;-
Hello BOSS, nice to meet you.
Beyond the conceivable for a neophyte. Such sizes, distances that I cannot differentiate them from infinity, attempting to imagine leads to dizziness, all in all directions, up and down. Links to wondering as well, about of time, matter, velocity, energy. Beyond. Metaphysical questions arise, origin, Big Bang, expansion, infinity or not, intelligence, love, hazard or not … You get me dizzy miss Universe (the cosmos, though her as well!). God, of course.
Meanwhile, within our microscopic world, we keep on perpetrating personal and planetary clashes. We have a long way to go.
Universe is just amazing. Absolutely amazing. Thanks for this article! :]