This is a list of the largest cosmic structures so far discovered. The unit of measurement used is the light-year (distance traveled by light in one Julian year; approximately 9.46 trillion kilometres).
The Sloan Great Wall, the Pisces–Cetus Supercluster Complex, the Horologium-Reticulum Supercluster and the Shapley Supercluster as seen in the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey
This list includes superclusters, galaxy filaments and large quasar groups (LQGs). The structures are listed based on their longest dimension.
This list refers only to coupling of matter with defined limits, and not the coupling of matter in general (such as, for example, the cosmic microwave background, which fills the entire universe). All structures in this list are defined as to whether their presiding limits have been identified.
There are some reasons to be cautious about this list:
- The Zone of Avoidance, or the part of the sky occupied by the Milky Way, blocks out light from several structures, making their limits imprecisely identified.
- Some structures are too distant to be seen even with the most powerful telescopes.
- Some structures have no defined limits, or endpoints. All structures are believed to be part of the cosmic web, which is a conclusive idea.[clarification needed] Most structures are overlapped by nearby galaxies, creating a problem of how to carefully define the structure's limit.
- Interpreting the observational data requires assumptions about gravitational lensing, redshift, etc.
List of largest structures
| Structure name (year discovered) | Maximum dimension (in light-years) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hercules–Corona Borealis Great Wall (2014) | 9,700,000,000–10,000,000,000 | Discovered through gamma-ray burst mapping. Existence as a structure is disputed. |
| Giant GRB Ring (2015) | 5,600,000,000 | Discovered through gamma-ray burst mapping. Largest-known regular formation in the observable universe. |
| Huge-LQG (2012–2013) | 4,000,000,000 | Decoupling of 73 quasars. Largest-known large quasar group and the first structure found to exceed 3 billion light-years. |
| "Giant Arc" (2021) | 3,300,000,000 | Located 9.2 billion light years away. |
| U1.11 LQG (2011) | 2,500,000,000 | Involves 38 quasars. Adjacent to the Clowes-Campusano LQG. |
| Clowes–Campusano LQG (1991) | 2,000,000,000 | Grouping of 34 quasars. Discovered by Roger Clowes and Luis Campusano. |
| Sloan Great Wall (2003) | 1,380,000,000 | Discovered through the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. |
| South Pole Wall (2020) | 1,370,000,000 | The largest contiguous feature in the local volume and comparable to the Sloan Great Wall (see above) at half the distance. It is located at the celestial South Pole. |
| King Ghidorah Supercluster (2022) | 1,300,000,000 | Consists of at least 15 clusters plus other interconnected filaments. It is the most massive galaxy supercluster discovered so far. |
| Big Ring (2024) | 1,300,000,000 | Made up of galaxy clusters. |
| (Theoretical limit) | 1,200,000,000 | Structures larger than this size are incompatible with the cosmological principle according to all estimates. However, whether the existence of these structures itself constitutes a refutation of the cosmological principle is still unclear. |
| Ho'oleilana Bubble (2023) | 1,000,000,000 | Contains about 56,000 galaxies, located 820 million light years away. |
| BOSS Great Wall (BGW) (2016) | 1,000,000,000 | Structure consisting of 4 superclusters of galaxies. The mass and volume exceeds the amount of the Sloan Great Wall. |
| Perseus–Pegasus Filament (1985) | 1,000,000,000 | This galaxy filament contains the Perseus–Pisces Supercluster. |
| Pisces–Cetus Supercluster Complex (1987) | 1,000,000,000 | Contains the Milky Way, and is the first galaxy filament to be discovered. (The first LQG was found earlier in 1982.) A new report in 2014 confirms the Milky Way as a member of the Laniakea Supercluster. |
| CfA2 Great Wall (1989) | 750,000,000 | Also known as the Coma Wall. |
| Saraswati Supercluster | 652,000,000 | The Saraswati Supercluster consists of 43 massive galaxy clusters, which include Abell 2361 and ZWCl 2341.1+0000. |
| Boötes Supercluster | 620,000,000 | |
| Horologium-Reticulum Supercluster (2005) | 550,000,000 | Also known as the Horologium Supercluster. |
| Laniakea Supercluster (2014) | 520,000,000 | Galaxy supercluster in which Earth is located. |
| Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 11 | 500,000,000 | Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash. |
| Hyperion proto-supercluster (2018) | 489,000,000 | The largest and earliest known proto– supercluster. |
| Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 12 | 480,000,000 | Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash. |
| Newman LQG (U1.54) | 450,000,000 | Discovered Peter R Newman et al. |
| Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 5 | 430,000,000 | Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash. |
| Tesch–Engels LQG | 420,000,000 | |
| Shapley Supercluster | 400,000,000 | First identified by Harlow Shapley as a cloud of galaxies in 1930, it was not identified as a structure until 1989. |
| Komberg–Kravstov–Lukash LQG 3 | 390,000,000 | Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash. |
| U1.90 | 380,000,000 | |
| Lynx–Ursa Major Filament (LUM Filament) | 370,000,000 | |
| Sculptor Wall | 370,000,000 | Also known as the Southern Great Wall. |
| Einasto Supercluster | 360,000,000 | |
| Pisces-Cetus Supercluster | 350,000,000 | |
| Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 2 | 350,000,000 | Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash. |
| z=2.38 filament around protocluster ClG J2143-4423 | 330,000,000 | |
| Webster LQG | 320,000,000 | First LQG (Large Quasar Group) discovered. |
| Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 8 | 310,000,000 | Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash. |
| Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 1 | 280,000,000 | Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash. |
| Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 6 | 260,000,000 | Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash. |
| Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 7 | 250,000,000 | Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash. |
| SCL @ 1338+27 | 228,314,341 | One of the most distant known superclusters. |
| Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 9 | 200,000,000 | Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash. |
| SSA22 Protocluster | 200,000,000 | Giant collection of Lyman-alpha blobs. |
| Ursa Major Supercluster | 200,000,000 | |
| Komberg-Kravtsov-Lukash LQG 10 | 180,000,000 | Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash. |
| Virgo Supercluster | 110,000,000 | A part of the Laniakea Supercluster (see above). It also contains the Milky Way Galaxy, which contains the Solar System where Earth orbits the Sun. Listed here for reference. |
List of largest voids
Voids are immense spaces between galaxy filaments and other large-scale structures. Technically they are not structures. They are vast spaces which contain very few or no galaxies. They are theorized to be caused by quantum fluctuations during the early formation of the universe.
A list of the largest voids so far discovered is below. Each is ranked according to its longest dimension.
| Void name/designation | Maximum dimension (in light-years) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| LOWZ North 13788 void | 2,953,000,000 | One of largest known voids, containing 109,066 known galaxies. |
| Local Hole | 2,000,000,000 | Proposed void containing the Milky Way galaxy and Local Group as an explanation for the discrepancy in the Hubble constant. Existence is still disputed. |
| LOWZ North 4739 void | 1,846,000,000 | |
| LOWZ North 16634 void | 1,671,000,000 | |
| LOWZ North 11627 void | 1,663,000,000 | |
| LOWZ South 4653 void | 1,610,000,000 | |
| LOWZ North 13222 void | 1,515,000,000 | |
| Giant Void | 1,300,000,000 | Also known as Canes Venatici Supervoid |
| LOWZ North 14348 void | 1,277,000,000 | |
| LOWZ South 5589 void | 1,110,000,000 | |
| LOWZ North 13721 void | 1,095,000,000 | |
| LOWZ North 11918 void | 998,000,000 | |
| LOWZ North 5692 void | 984,000,000 | |
| Bahcall & Soneira 1982 void | 978,000,000 | This suspected void ranged 100 degrees across the sky, and has shown up on other surveys as several separate voids. |
| LOWZ North 11446 void | 944,000,000 | |
| LOWZ North 15734 void | 938,000,000 | |
| LOWZ North 16394 void | 934,000,000 | |
| LOWZ North 8541 void | 917,000,000 | |
| LOWZ South 4775 void | 899,000,000 | |
| LOWZ North 12092 void | 891,000,000 | |
| LOWZ North 3294 void | 887,000,000 | |
| Tully-11 void | 880,000,000 | Catalogued by R. Brent Tully |
| CMASS South 7225 void | 865,000,000 | |
| LOWZ North 14775 void | 848,000,000 | |
| LOWZ South 6334 void | 846,000,000 | |
| LOWZ North 10254 void | 843,000,000 | |
| LOWZ North 13568 void | 841,000,000 | |
| LOWZ North 11954 void | 827,000,000 | |
| LOWZ North 3404 void | 812,000,000 | |
| LOWZ South 3713 void | 805,000,000 | |
| LOWZ South 4325 void | 804,000,000 | |
| CMASS South 5582 void | 796,000,000 | |
| Tully-10 void | 792,000,000 | Catalogued by R. Brent Tully |
| LOWZ North 6177 void | 789,000,000 | |
| Tully-9 void | 746,000,000 | Catalogued by R. Brent Tully |
| B&B Abell-20 void | 684,000,000 | |
| B&B Abell-9 void | 652,000,000 | |
| Tully-7 void | 567,240,000 | Catalogued by R. Brent Tully |
| Tully-4 void | 564,000,000 | Catalogued by R. Brent Tully |
| Tully-6 void | 557,460,000 | Catalogued by R. Brent Tully |
| Tully-8 void | 554,200,000 | Catalogued by R. Brent Tully |
| B&B Abell-21 void | 521,600,000 | |
| B&B Abell-28 void | 521,600,000 | |
| Eridanus Supervoid | 489,000,000 (most likely value) | A recent analysis of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) in 2007 has found an irregularity of the temperature fluctuation of the cosmic microwave background within the vicinity of the constellation Eridanus with analysis found to be 70 microkelvins cooler than the average CMB temperature. One speculation is that a void could cause the cold spot, with the possible size on the left. However, it may be as large as 1 billion light-years, close to the size of the Giant Void. |
| B&B Abell-4 void | 489,000,000 | |
| B&B Abell-15 void | 489,000,000 | |
| Tully-3 void | 489,000,000 | Catalogued by R. Brent Tully |
| 1994EEDTAWSS-10 void | 469,440,000 | |
| Tully-1 void | 456,400,000 | Catalogued by R. Brent Tully |
| B&B Abell-8 void | 456,000,000 | |
| B&B Abell-22 void | 456,000,000 | |
| Tully-2 void | 443,360,000 | Catalogued by R. Brent Tully |
| B&B Abell-24 void | 423,800,000 | |
| B&B Abell-27 void | 423,800,000 | |
| CMASS North 4407 void | 414,000,000 | |
| B&B Abell-7 void | 391,200,000 | |
| B&B Abell-12 void | 391,200,000 | |
| B&B Abell-29 void | 391,200,000 | |
| 1994EEDTAWSS-21 void | 378,160,000 | |
| Southern Local Supervoid | 365,120,000 | |
| B&B Abell-10 void | 358,600,000 | |
| B&B Abell-11 void | 358,600,000 | |
| B&B Abell-13 void | 358,600,000 | |
| B&B Abell-17 void | 358,600,000 | |
| B&B Abell-19 void | 358,600,000 | |
| B&B Abell-23 void | 358,600,000 | |
| CMASS North 11496 void | 342,000,000 | |
| 1994EEDTAWSS-19 void | 342,100,000 | |
| Northern Local Supervoid | 339,000,000 | Virgo Supercluster, Coma Supercluster, Perseus–Pisces Supercluster, Ursa Major-Lynx Supercluster, Hydra–Centaurus Supercluster, Sculptor Supercluster, Pavo–Corona Australis Supercluster form a sheet between the Northern Local Supervoid and the Southern Local Supervoid. The Hercules Supercluster separates the Northern Local Void from the Boötes Void. The Perseus-Pisces Supercluster and Pegasus Supercluster form a sheet separate the Northern Local Void and Southern Local Void from the Pegasus Void. |
| Boötes Void | 330,000,000 | Also known as The Giant Nothing |
| 1994EEDTAWSS-12 void | 328,000,000 | |
| CMASS North 15935 void | 252,000,000 | |
| SSRS1 4 void | 217,000,000 | |
| GACIRASS V0 void | 215,000,000 | |
| CMASS North 60 void | 210,000,000 | |
| SSRS2 3 void | 198,000,000 | |
| Local Void | 195,000,000 | The nearest void to the Milky Way. |
| SSRS2 1 void | 177,000,000 | |
| IRAS 1 void | 166,000,000 | |
| Sculptor void | 163,000,000 | |
| IRAS 3 void | 145,000,000 | |
| IRAS 2 void | 142,000,000 | |
| IRAS 7 void | 141,000,000 | |
| SSRS2 11 void | 139,000,000 | |
| IRAS 6 void | 135,000,000 | |
| IRAS 13 void | 131,000,000 | |
| Pegasus Void | 130,000,000 | The Perseus–Pisces Supercluster and Pegasus Supercluster form a sheet separate the Northern Local Void and Southern Local Void from the Pegasus Void. |
| IRAS 8 void | 128,000,000 | |
| SSRS2 9 void | 127,000,000 | |
| IRAS 9 void | 117,000,000 | |
| IRAS 5 void | 117,000,000 | |
| SSRS2 4 void | 116,000,000 | |
| SSRS2 10 void | 113,000,000 | |
| SSRS1 1 void | 108,000,000 | Located just behind the galaxy concentration Eridanus-Fornax-Dorado. |
| IRAS 11 void | 104,000,000 | |
| SSRS2 6 void | 104,000,000 | |
| CMASS North 10020 void | 104,000,000 | |
| IRAS 12 void | 102,000,000 | |
| Perseus-Pisces void | 99,000,000 | |
| SSRS1 2 void | 97,000,000 | |
| IRAS 14 void | 93,000,000 | |
| SSRS2 8 void | 90,000,000 | |
| SSRS2 15 void | 89,000,000 | |
| GACIRASS V1 void | 83,000,000 | |
| SSRS2 7 void | 83,000,000 | |
| SSRS2 12 void | 81,000,000 | |
| GACIRASS V3 void | 81,000,000 | |
| SSRS2 14 void | 69,000,000 | |
| SSRS2 18 void | 68,000,000 | |
| SSRS2 16 void | 66,000,000 | |
| GACIRASS V2 void | 63,000,000 | |
| SSRS2 17 void | 61,000,000 |
See also
- Lists of astronomical objects
- List of large quasar groups
- List of largest galaxies
- List of largest nebulae
- List of largest stars and List of most massive stars
- List of largest exoplanets
- List of most massive black holes
- List of superclusters
- List of voids
- Timeline of knowledge about galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and large-scale structure
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