Astronomers map Vela Supercluster, revealing vast structure beyond Milky Way's Zone of Avoidance
Updated
Updated · Livescience.com · Apr 26
Astronomers map Vela Supercluster, revealing vast structure beyond Milky Way's Zone of Avoidance
9 articles · Updated · Livescience.com · Apr 26
The newly mapped Vela Supercluster spans about 300 million light-years and holds matter equal to 30 quadrillion suns, surpassing the mass of Laniākea, which contains the Milky Way.
Researchers combined 65,000 existing galaxy measurements with 8,000 new redshift observations, including 2,000 from South Africa's MeerKAT telescope, to chart the supercluster's size and motion.
The discovery helps astronomers test cosmological models and sheds light on regions previously hidden by the Milky Way, though some parts of Vela may remain obscured due to dust and gas.
What other cosmic giants might be hiding behind the Milky Way's stellar veil?
Could Vela's immense gravity be pulling our own galaxy in a new direction?
Beyond cosmic maps, how does big astronomy build a high-tech future on Earth?
How does this cosmic titan next door reshape our map of the universe?
How is South Africa's MeerKAT telescope making Africa a leader in astronomy?
As Vela's two cores collide, what cosmic spectacle will eventually unfold?
Penetrating the Zone of Avoidance: Revealing the 800 Million Light-Year Distant Vela Supercluster
Overview
In January 2024, a team led by the University of Cape Town discovered the massive Vela Supercluster hidden behind the Milky Way's dense dust and stars, which obscure 20% of the southern sky. Spanning 300 million light-years and weighing 3 × 10¹⁶ solar masses, Vela's gravitational pull surpasses that of nearby cosmic giants, explaining the unusual motions of galaxies in our region. This breakthrough was made possible by combining over 65,000 galaxy measurements with new data from the MeerKAT radio telescope, which detects hydrogen signals through the dust. The innovative hybrid reconstruction method used sets a new standard for future cosmic surveys and opens fresh paths for studying dark matter and galaxy evolution.