 |
| Giant Galaxy String Computer Artist's Conception/NASA |
The image above illustrates the structure of a giant galaxy string, about 300 million light years in length, that was first reported in 2004. Located in the direction of the southern constellation Grus, this galaxy string is not only large, it is also distant -- about 10.8 billion light years away. This means that the light we are seeing took 10.8 billion to reach us, and so the structure we are seeing is something that actually existed a long time ago when the Universe was much younger.
When we look far out into the cosmos, we are also looking far back in time. By studying distant regions of space, scientists are gathering data about the history of the Universe and using it to test theories about how galaxies were formed. Closer to home, discoveries of the last several decades have greatly increased our understanding of planet formation and our knowledge of our own solar system. This is an exciting time to be alive.
Available Articles
Mining Asteroids
