Dark energy is an unknown form of energy that affects the universe on the largest scales. It is the primary evidence for the observation that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. It is estimated to make up roughly 68% of the total energy in the observable universe.
Laniakea is the galaxy supercluster that is home to the Milky Way and approximately 100,000 other nearby galaxies. It spans 520 million light-years and illustrates the large-scale structure of the universe.
Laniakea is the galaxy supercluster that is home to the Milky Way and approximately 100,000 other nearby galaxies. It spans 520 million light-years and illustrates the large-scale structure of the universe.
Laniakea
Our place in the cosmic web
The Milky Way and the Local Group belong to Laniakea, a region about 520 million light-years across containing roughly 100,000 galaxies. Galaxy motions help define its basin of attraction around the Great Attractor.
Span: ≈ 520 million ly
Galaxies: ≈ 100,000
Major grid: 100 million ly
Galaxy Cluster
Largest Known Structures
Galaxy clusters are the largest known gravitationally bound structures in the universe, containing hundreds to thousands of galaxies, hot plasma, and a large amount of invisible dark matter. They are key probes of the large-scale structure and evolution of the cosmos.
Members: 100-1000+ galaxies
Diameter: 10-30 million ly
Mass: 10^14-10^15 M☉
Dark Matter
The Invisible Scaffold
Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter that appears to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. It does not interact with electromagnetic radiation, making it invisible, but its existence is inferred from its gravitational effects on visible matter.
Universe %: 27% of total
Detection: Gravity only
Type: Non-baryonic (unknown)
Dark Energy
The Universe's Accelerant
Dark energy is an unknown form of energy that affects the universe on the largest scales. It is the primary evidence for the observation that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. It is estimated to make up roughly 68% of the total energy in the observable universe.
Universe %: 68% of total
Effect: Accelerates expansion
Fate: Heat Death (predicted)
Cosmic history
A journey through 13.8 billion years
Look inside a cutaway of cosmic history: nearby galaxies give way to early galaxies, the dark ages, and the cosmic microwave background. More distant light shows us an earlier universe.
