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superclusters

A supercluster is a very large-scale arrangement of galaxies comprising clusters, groups, and individual galaxies connected within the cosmic web. They are among the largest known coherent structures in the universe, extending over hundreds of millions of light-years. Most superclusters are not gravitationally bound as single objects, but rather are part of the larger network shaped by gravity and the expansion of the universe.

They are organized into filaments and walls, with clusters acting as nodes where galaxies are denser and

Observationally, superclusters are identified through redshift surveys that map the three-dimensional distribution of galaxies, such as

Prominent examples include the Laniakea Supercluster and the Shapley Supercluster; other large structures identified in surveys

hot
gas
is
common.
The
Milky
Way
resides
in
a
region
that
is
part
of
the
Laniakea
Supercluster,
one
of
the
better-studied
examples.
the
Sloan
Digital
Sky
Survey
(SDSS)
and
the
2dF
Galaxy
Redshift
Survey.
Complementary
data
come
from
X-ray
observations
of
intracluster
gas
and
from
gravitational
lensing
measures
of
mass
distribution.
include
the
Sloan
Great
Wall.
The
study
of
superclusters
helps
map
the
large-scale
matter
distribution
and
test
cosmological
models,
since
their
existence
and
properties
reflect
the
growth
of
structure
in
the
universe
under
the
influence
of
dark
matter
and
dark
energy.