List of largest cosmic structures
This is a list of the largest cosmic structures so far discovered. The unit of measurement used is the light-year.
This list includes superclusters, galaxy filaments and large quasar groups. The list characterizes each structure based on its longest dimension.
Note that this list refers only to coupling of matter with defined limits, and not the coupling of matter in general. All structures in this list are defined as to whether their presiding limits have been identified.
There are some speculations about this list:
- The Zone of Avoidance, or the part of the sky occupied by the Milky Way, blocks out light to several structures, making their limits imprecisely identified.
- Some structures are far too distant to be seen even with the most powerful telescopes. Some factors are included to explain the structure.
- Some structures have no defined limits, or endpoints. All structures are believed to be part of the cosmic web, which is a conclusive idea. Most structures are overlapped by nearby galaxies, creating a problem of how to carefully define the structure's limit.
List of largest structures
List of largest voids
s 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 | Notes |
KBC Void | 2,000,000,000 | Void containing the Milky Way galaxy and Local Group |
Giant Void | 1,300,000,000 | Also known as Canes Venatici Supervoid |
Tully-11 void | 880,000,000 | Catalogued by R. Brent Tully |
Tully-10 void | 792,000,000 | Catalogued by R. Brent Tully |
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 |
Bahcall & Soneiro 1982 void | 554,465,200 | This suspected void ranged 100 degrees across the sky, and has shown up on other surveys as several separate voids. |
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 | A recent analysis of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe 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 | |
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 | |
1994EEDTAWSS-19 void | 342,100,000 | |
Northern Local Supervoid | 339,202,240 | Virgo Supercluster, Coma Supercluster, Perseus-Pisces Supercluster, Ursa Major-Lynx Supercluster, Hydra-Centaurus Supercluster, Sculptor Supercluster, Pavo-Corona Australes 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 | |
SSRS1 4 void | 217,437,333.3 | |
GACIRASS V0 void | 215,262,960 | |
BOSSCMASS 4407 void | 207,001,428.5 | |
SSRS2 3 void | 198,302,848 | |
Local void | 195,693,600 | One of the nearest voids known and contains 3 galaxies. |
SSRS2 2 void | 183,299,672 | |
SSRS2 1 void | 177,102,708 | |
BOSSCMASS 11496 void | 171,143,837.9 | |
IRAS 1 void | 166,399,560 | |
SSRS1 3 void | 163,078,000 | |
IRAS 4 void | 146,770,200 | |
IRAS 3 void | 145,139,420 | |
IRAS 2 void | 142,856,328 | |
IRAS 7 void | 141,877,860 | |
SSRS2 11 void | 139,920,924 | |
IRAS 6 void | 135,028,584 | |
IRAS 13 void | 131,440,868 | |
Pegasus void | 130,462,400 | 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 | 128,831,620 | |
SSRS2 9 void | 127,200,840 | |
BOSSCMASS 15935 void | 126,166,925.5 | |
IRAS 9 void | 117,416,160 | |
IRAS 5 void | 117,416,160 | |
SSRS2 4 void | 116,111,536 | |
SSRS2 5 void | 113,502,288 | |
SSRS2 10 void | 113,502,288 | |
IRAS 10 void | 109,588,416 | |
SSRS1 1 void | 108,718,666.7 | Located just behind the galaxy concentration Eridanus-Fornax-Dorado. |
BOSSCMASS 60 void | 105,341,864.9 | |
IRAS 11 void | 104,369,920 | |
SSRS2 6 void | 104,369,920 | |
IRAS 12 void | 102,739,140 | |
IRAS 15 void | 99,151,424 | |
SSRS1 2 void | 97,846,800 | |
IRAS 14 void | 93,932,928 | |
SSRS2 8 void | 90,671,368 | |
SSRS2 15 void | 89,040,588 | |
GACIRASS V1 void | 83,169,780 | |
SSRS2 7 void | 83,169,780 | |
SSRS2 12 void | 81,539,000 | |
GACIRASS V3 void | 81,539,000 | |
SSRS2 13 void | 72,080,476 | |
SSRS2 14 void | 69,471,228 | |
SSRS2 18 void | 68,818,916 | |
SSRS2 16 void | 66,209,668 | |
GACIRASS V2 void | 63,600,420 | |
SSRS2 17 void | 61,969,640 | |
BOSSCMASS 10020 void | 52,067,543.84 |