Immense: A computer-generated image of Laniakea. The red sections represent the densest parts of the super cluster while blue represents voids, where little matter exists. Individual galaxies are shown as white dots. The white lines represent galactic streams while the orange line represents the limits of Laniakea. Laniakea itself contains the mass of about 100 million billion suns.
A new cosmic map shows how our Milky Way galaxy is just a tiny part of a massive galaxy supercluster that scientists have dubbed 'Laniakea'.
The Milky Way galaxy resides on the outskirts of a massive, previously unknown galaxy super-cluster scientists have named Laniakea, from Hawaiian words for “immeasurable heaven.” The discovery, reported in the journal Nature on Sept 3, stems from a new mapping technique that combines not only the distances between more than 8,000 nearby galaxies, but also their relative motions.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.
Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
