The biggest explosions in the universe reveal that the largest known structure is even bigger and closer to us

The universe still holds many surprises for astronomers. New observations reveal that the largest known structure is larger than previously thought. Some of its parts are also much closer to Earth than expected.

For decades, scientists have been observing the far reaches of the cosmos to better understand its composition and its organization. Through numerous ground-based and space-based telescopes, they have mapped galaxy clusters, filaments, and interstellar voids. This research has shaped our view of the universe. large scale, based on the idea of a homogeneous arrangement of matter in all directions.

A recent study reveals that the “Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall“, a huge grouping of galaxies forming a gigantic cosmic structure, is even larger than previously thought. To achieve this discovery, the researchers used gamma-ray bursts, powerful explosions of energy detectable over immense distances. These observations also show that some parts of this formation are closer to Earth than previously estimated.

Gamma-ray bursts show that the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall extends over 10 billion light-years across

The Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall was already identified in 2014 as one of the largest known cosmic formations. Made up of a supercluster of galaxies, it covers an area estimated to be 10 billion light-years across. For comparison, it is large enough to align more than 94,000 Milky Way-sized galaxies side by side. Thanks to new observations of 542 gamma-ray bursts collected by the Fermi and Swift space telescopes, researchers have found that this structure extends over an even greater distance than expected, and that some parts of it are closer than previously detected.

These gamma-ray bursts, by revealing invisible concentrations of matter, allow us to better map the distant universe. This discovery challenges the cosmological principle that the distribution of matter should be homogeneous on a large scale. Indeed, a structure of this size should not exist in such a young universe. The researchers plan to continue their analyses with future space missions like THESEUS, which could map the entire Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall with even greater precision.

Source: arXiv:2504.05354