Supercluster facts for kids
Superclusters are huge collections of smaller groups and clusters of galaxies. Think of them as giant neighborhoods in space. They are some of the biggest things we know about in the entire cosmos.
Superclusters show us that galaxies are not spread out evenly across the universe. Instead, most galaxies are found in groups and clusters. Groups might have a few dozen galaxies, while clusters can hold thousands! These groups and clusters, along with some galaxies that are on their own, come together to form even larger collections called superclusters.
Contents
How Galaxies Group Up
Galaxies often stick together in different ways.
- Galaxy Groups: These are smaller collections, usually with a few dozen galaxies. Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is part of a group called the Local Group.
- Galaxy Clusters: These are much bigger, holding hundreds or even thousands of galaxies. They are like giant cities of galaxies.
Superclusters are the largest structures, bringing many of these groups and clusters together.
The Universe's Giant Web
Superclusters themselves are part of even bigger structures. These are sometimes called "filaments," "complexes," "walls," or "sheets." Imagine a giant cosmic web! For example, there's something called the Great Wall. These huge structures can stretch for hundreds of millions of light-years across space. They can even cover more than 5% of the part of the universe we can see.
Studying superclusters helps scientists learn about how the universe first began. It also gives clues about how galaxies formed a long, long time ago.
Empty Spaces in Space
Inside superclusters, there are also very large empty areas. These are called voids. In these voids, there are very few galaxies, almost none at all. Superclusters are often divided into smaller groups of clusters, which scientists sometimes call "galaxy clouds."
Images for kids
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A map of the superclusters and voids nearest to Earth
See also
In Spanish: Supercúmulo para niños
