Newfound Blob
Encyclopedia
The Newfound Blob is a formation measuring 200 million light-years in width. It is currently the biggest known object in the universe. Discovered in 2006 by Ryosuke Yamauchi from Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, and his colleagues, the structure was found in a region of the universe known to contain large concentrations of gas. The blob is a very distant object; the astronomers that discovered it were actually looking at something from 12 billion years ago. This object is made up of galaxies and large gas bubbles. Some of the gas bubbles that make up this colossal structure are up to 400,000 light-years across, close to twice the diameter of the Andromeda Galaxy
. Some scientists believe that these giant bubbles formed after massive stars born in the early universe exploded as supernovas and ejected their surrounding gases. The galaxies and gas bubbles that are part of this structure are known as Lyman-alpha blob
s and line up along three curved filaments, or arms, that formed approximately 2 billion years after the Big Bang
. These filaments were observed with the help of the Subaru and Keck telescopes located on the Mauna Kea volcano
in Hawaii.
The Newfound Blob is not only incredibly large, but also very dense; the galaxies located in each of the filaments are four times closer to each other than the universe's average. Before its discovery, astronomers had predicted the existence of a structure like the Newfound Blob. According to computer models, several of the most massive galaxies originated from a blob like this. These super-galaxies (see super-galaxy) are believed to have formed as a result of these blobs collapsing under their own gravity. Since the densest areas in the universe are thought to be the places where galaxies formed first, the Newfound Blob may be one of the earliest to have formed. This structure may reveal when and how the first galaxies formed and could help us better understand how our own galaxy came to be.
Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Andromeda. It is also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, and is often referred to as the Great Andromeda Nebula in older texts. Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to the...
. Some scientists believe that these giant bubbles formed after massive stars born in the early universe exploded as supernovas and ejected their surrounding gases. The galaxies and gas bubbles that are part of this structure are known as Lyman-alpha blob
Lyman-alpha blob
In astronomy, a Lyman-alpha blob is a huge concentration of a gas emitting the Lyman-alpha emission line. LABs are some of the largest known individual objects in the Universe. Some of these gaseous structures are more than 400,000 light years across...
s and line up along three curved filaments, or arms, that formed approximately 2 billion years after the Big Bang
Big Bang
The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
. These filaments were observed with the help of the Subaru and Keck telescopes located on the Mauna Kea volcano
Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea is a volcano on the island of Hawaii. Standing above sea level, its peak is the highest point in the state of Hawaii. However, much of the mountain is under water; when measured from its oceanic base, Mauna Kea is over tall—significantly taller than Mount Everest...
in Hawaii.
The Newfound Blob is not only incredibly large, but also very dense; the galaxies located in each of the filaments are four times closer to each other than the universe's average. Before its discovery, astronomers had predicted the existence of a structure like the Newfound Blob. According to computer models, several of the most massive galaxies originated from a blob like this. These super-galaxies (see super-galaxy) are believed to have formed as a result of these blobs collapsing under their own gravity. Since the densest areas in the universe are thought to be the places where galaxies formed first, the Newfound Blob may be one of the earliest to have formed. This structure may reveal when and how the first galaxies formed and could help us better understand how our own galaxy came to be.