The universe is massive on a scale that is hard to even imagine.
While the Earth is big compared to us, it is small compared to even our sun, which is tiny compared to some of the more massive stars out there, and even those stars can be small compared to giant black holes.
Of course, you could keep going from there and point out that black holes are small compared to galaxies, and galaxies are small compared to galaxy clusters, and so on.
So, that begs the question, what is the largest structure in the universe? The answer, it seems, is known as the cosmic web.
The concept for this supermassive structure has been around for decades, and the more astronomers study the universe, the better the picture of the cosmic web becomes.
Scientists have found that in what seems to be empty space between galaxies or galaxy clusters, there are actually gasses, filaments, and possibly even dark matter or energy connecting them.
When all these things are put together, it creates a web-like structure that is truly on a universal scale.
If we were able to fly out beyond the cosmic web with the right instruments, we would be able to see that it appears more uniform and smooth than many would imagine. From within the universe, we see clusters of smaller objects like stars, planets, open space, and more.
With enough distance, however, it would seem more like just a smooth area.
To get a better understanding of this, it can be explained by zooming in rather than zooming out. Think about just about any object you can imagine. Say, a piece of paper.
When you look at the paper from a normal distance, it seems smooth with a sharp edge. If you zoom in with a powerful microscope, however, you will be able to see that it is anything but smooth at the microscopic level. Even the edges appear very jagged.
The cosmic web is much the same way.
There are still many things in the universe that we can’t explain, but as scientists continue to perform more research and study, the universe we live in becomes more and more clear.
It is impossible to grasp the vastness of the universe.
If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about a second giant hole has opened up on the sun’s surface. Here’s what it means.