Vast Cosmic Filament Discovered Connecting Milky Way to the Universe

Astronomers at The Australian National University have discovered proof of a vast filament of material that connects our Milky Way galaxy to nearby clusters of galaxies, which are similarly interconnected to the rest of the Universe.

“By examining the positions of ancient groupings of stars, called globular clusters, we found that the clusters form a narrow plane around the Milky Way rather than being scattered across the sky,” said Dr. Stephan Keller of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at ANU.

“Furthermore, the Milky Way’s entourage of small satellites are seen to inhabit the same plane. What we have discovered is evidence for the cosmic thread that connects us to the vast expanse of the Universe. The filament of star clusters and small galaxies around the Milky Way is like the umbilical cord that fed our Galaxy during its youth,” Keller observed.

There are two types of matter that made up the Universe – the dominant, enigmatic dark matter and ordinary matter in the form of galaxies, stars and planets. “A consequence of the Big Bang and the dominance of dark matter is that ordinary matter is driven, like foam on the crest of a wave, into vast interconnected sheets and filaments stretched over enormous cosmic voids – much like the structure of a kitchen sponge."

“Unlike a sponge, however," Keller added, "gravity draws the material over these interconnecting filaments towards the largest lumps of matter, and our findings show that the globular clusters and satellite galaxies of the Milky Way trace this cosmic filament. Globular clusters are systems of hundreds of thousands of ancient stars tightly packed in a ball. In our picture, most of these star clusters are the central cores of small galaxies that have been drawn along the filament by gravity.

“Once these small galaxies got too close the Milky Way the majority of stars were stripped away and added to our galaxy, leaving only their cores.

“It is thought that the Milky Way has grown to its current size by the consumption of hundreds of such smaller galaxies over cosmic time,” he concluded.

The Daily Galaxy via Australian National University

Image credit: IAC

Comments

[Christian Rioux]

Alien highways :)

[tony lloyd]

So its sounding more and more like an (almost) infinitesimal web. Maybe there's something to the pagan way of the Wyrd ?......man.

[Ben]

Those are the keys to moving around at the speed of light. We'll find this out years and years from now and i'll be dead! :)

[Ben]

Those are the keys to moving around at the speed of light. We'll find this out years and years from now and i'll be dead! :)

[Ben]

Those are the keys to moving around at the speed of light. We'll find this out years and years from now and i'll be dead! :)

[Ben]

Those are the keys to moving around at the speed of light. We'll find this out years and years from now and i'll be dead! :)

[Ben]

Those are the keys to moving around at the speed of light. We'll find this out years and years from now and i'll be dead! :)

[Aleina]

Why is the universe expanding? A boy crumbles up a piece of paper into a ball and fires it up. As the flame catches on his fingers, he throws it at a wall. “WOW!” he screams. The sparkles flying all over. Some brightly lit and exploded (going nova) while others slowly dimmed and disappeared within a second. At the impact, everything is pushed against the WALL; therefore, the universe is expanding FAST in ONE DIRECTION away from the WALL.
Imagine one of those flying ashes is a galaxy and billions of them… The rest of the story is in the work of evolution.
The brilliant living thing on those planets calls him GOD. He does not know he created such living things. If he did, what would he have done when those sparkles last for a split of a second? What about Dark matter, Dark Energy, and Black holes? Look for that WALL.
http://goo.gl/BLjgb

[WukTooJo Dean]

Heck yeah dude thats what I am talking about man. WOw.

www.real-privacy.edu.tc

[WukTooJo Dean]

Heck yeah dude thats what I am talking about man. WOw.

www.real-privacy.edu.tc

[WukTooJo Dean]

Heck yeah dude thats what I am talking about man. WOw.

www.real-privacy.edu.tc

[WukTooJo Dean]

Heck yeah dude thats what I am talking about man. WOw.

www.real-privacy.edu.tc

[WukTooJo Dean]

Heck yeah dude thats what I am talking about man. WOw.

www.real-privacy.edu.tc

[WukTooJo Dean]

Heck yeah dude thats what I am talking about man. WOw.

www.real-privacy.edu.tc

[James Ph. Kotsybar]

COMMENTS FOR THIS ENTRY ARE CLOSED
-- James Ph. Kotsybar

When the general public hears about
A breakthrough in scientific research
They want to add their voices to the shout,
So as not to feel they’re left in the lurch.
That they have opinions, there is no doubt.

They’ll foist themselves into the dialogue,
When something sensational’s put in print.
Though their comments reveal they’re in a fog
Without having the slightest clue or hint,
It won’t prevent them posting to the blog.

Most often, all they can add is their moan:
“Why can’t science leave well-enough alone?”

[george]

oh look, more spam bots in the comments. maybe it would be a good idea to have the comments moderated. of course, that would mean the site admins would have to actually *have* a good idea, and since all they can do is copy/paste articles from other places, I won't hold my breath

[P. Carlonis]

Something to consider:

For a God to know everything, then everything at it's point in existence must exist and have existed; therefor you exist so that God can know of this everything.

You are a part of God, of all there is to know, because in order to know all, your life must be known.

Consider how you will be known.

[James Ph. Kotsybar]

Maybe the plane can be explained by galaxy spin -- a sort of intergalactic gyroscope that brings galaxies together along its angle of rotation rather than from above or below its axis. Filaments would naturally form from stretching, due to spaghettification -- the most distant ends of galaxies would tend to remain at rest, while the parts nearest to one another would accelerate closer/faster. There is no need to invoke dark matter or claim there is some invisible web that holds galaxies in clusters. Perhaps it's more complex than falling off a log, but no more complicated than falling toward a black hole.

[SB]

Maybe they are the outer shells of worm holes used by galactic travelers.

[cheap boots]

For a God to know everything, then everything at it's point in existence must exist and have existed; therefor you exist so that God can know of this everything.

[Jetpoweredfrog]

I have just become interested and totally fascinated with galatic filaments. My own opinion might be from a novice view point but I seek to understand. Shortly after the big bang at some point we must have had one huge cloud of hydrogen gas relatively uniformly spread and expanding outwardly. At its earliest formation, it would make sense to me that huge suns, larger than we could ever imagine would have formed all located within a local neighborhood. Given this and the short life span of such stars, how do we know that the filaments are not the over lapping boundaries of super nova waves crossing each other from all directions. In many cases since the waves would come from all directions it makes sense that many would in fact sort of cancel out others speeds as well as interact gravitionally and eventually collapse. If you look at those structures in the largest available scales it even looks like that could explain it.

[Cheap jerseys wholesale]

Thank you your writing,it’s useful for us!

[snapback hats]

our findings show that the globular clusters and satellite galaxies of the Milky Way trace this cosmic filament.

[James Ph. Kotsybar]

CATCH THE FORMING STARS
-- James Ph. Kotsybar

Catch the forming stars inside dark matter pockets
You’ve conjectured cleverly.
Watch the forming stars inside dark matter pockets.
Save them from dark energy.

Empiricists may tap you on the shoulder,
And ask for proof.
You’ll just have to bluster a bit bolder,
then turn away remaining aloof.

Catch the forming stars inside dark matter pockets
You’ve assumed math’matic’ly.
Watch the forming stars inside dark matter pockets.
Talk about dark synergy.

Then when detractors start a multiplyin’,
An’ they just might,
It’s easy to forget them without tryin’
With just your nose held firmly upright.

Catch the forming stars inside dark matter pockets
You’ve posited cleverly.
Watch the forming stars inside dark matter pockets.
Save them from dark energy.

Save them from dark energy.
(Save them from dark energy.)

-- Apologies to Perry Como

[sofa]

Good wishes,
Vast Cosmic Filament Discovered Connecting Milky Way to the Universe
GOAAAASHHH!!! I couldn't stop smiling!!
Glorious article!
Glorious blog!