Space
Scientists Create the Most Comprehensive 3D Map of the Universe to Date
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Apr 28, 2015 08:55 AM EDT
Scientists have created the most comprehensive map of the universe to day. They've made a 3D map of the universe that spans nearly two billion light-years.
"The galaxy distribution isn't uniform and has no pattern," said Mike Hudson, one of the researchers, in a news release. "It has peaks and valleys much like a mountain range. This is what we expect if the large-scale structure originates from quantum fluctuations in the early universe."
The lighter blue and white areas of the new map represent great concentrations of galaxies. The red area, in contrast is the supercluster called the Shapley Concentration, the largest collection of galaxies in the nearby universe. Unexplored areas appear in medium blue.
Galaxies move differently since the universe's expansion is not even. These differences are called peculiar velocities. Our own Milky Way galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy are moving at about 2 million kilometers per hour. However, previous models haven't fully accounted for this observed motion.
That's why the researchers factored it in for this latest map. These deviations in the motion of galaxies are a valuable tool to determine the distribution of matter and dark matter on the largest scales.
"A better understanding of dark matter is central to understanding the formation of galaxies and the structures they live in, such as galaxy clusters, superclusters and voids," said Hudson.
The findings reveal a bit more about our universe. Already, the scientists are moving forward. The next step will involve getting more detailed samples of peculiar velocities to enhance the current map. This, in turn, will tell scientists more about our galaxy.
The findings are published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
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NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone
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First Posted: Apr 28, 2015 08:55 AM EDT
Scientists have created the most comprehensive map of the universe to day. They've made a 3D map of the universe that spans nearly two billion light-years.
"The galaxy distribution isn't uniform and has no pattern," said Mike Hudson, one of the researchers, in a news release. "It has peaks and valleys much like a mountain range. This is what we expect if the large-scale structure originates from quantum fluctuations in the early universe."
The lighter blue and white areas of the new map represent great concentrations of galaxies. The red area, in contrast is the supercluster called the Shapley Concentration, the largest collection of galaxies in the nearby universe. Unexplored areas appear in medium blue.
Galaxies move differently since the universe's expansion is not even. These differences are called peculiar velocities. Our own Milky Way galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy are moving at about 2 million kilometers per hour. However, previous models haven't fully accounted for this observed motion.
That's why the researchers factored it in for this latest map. These deviations in the motion of galaxies are a valuable tool to determine the distribution of matter and dark matter on the largest scales.
"A better understanding of dark matter is central to understanding the formation of galaxies and the structures they live in, such as galaxy clusters, superclusters and voids," said Hudson.
The findings reveal a bit more about our universe. Already, the scientists are moving forward. The next step will involve getting more detailed samples of peculiar velocities to enhance the current map. This, in turn, will tell scientists more about our galaxy.
The findings are published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone