Vela Supercluster proves larger than thought and drives excess cosmic flow
Updated
Updated · Space.com · May 4
Vela Supercluster proves larger than thought and drives excess cosmic flow
8 articles · Updated · Space.com · May 4
Using 65,518 galaxy distances and 8,283 new redshifts from SALT and MeerKAT, researchers found the hidden structure 870 million light-years away behind the Milky Way.
They estimate it holds 33,800 trillion solar masses across about 300 million light-years, making its gravitational pull stronger than the Great Attractor and comparable to the Shapley Supercluster.
First identified in 2016, Vela lies in the Milky Way's dust-obscured Zone of Avoidance; the team says the result fills a major gap in mapping the nearby universe.
If a structure of 30 quadrillion suns could hide from us, what other secrets are concealed in our cosmic backyard?
A hidden giant is pulling on our galaxy. How will this supercluster reshape the Milky Way's ultimate cosmic fate?
How MeerKAT Radio Telescope Uncovered the Enormous Vela-Banzi Supercluster Obscured by the Milky Way
Overview
In 2024, astronomers discovered the massive Vela Supercluster, or Vela-Banzi, hidden behind the Milky Way's Zone of Avoidance, which blocks visible light from about 20% of the sky. This breakthrough was made possible by the MeerKAT radio telescope detecting radio waves from neutral hydrogen, combined with a hybrid method using thousands of galaxy distance and redshift measurements. Vela-Banzi spans 300 million light-years, has a mass of 3 × 10¹⁶ solar masses, and contains two dense cores moving toward each other. Its immense gravity influences cosmic flows, reshaping our understanding of the universe and challenging key cosmological models. The discovery also honors local cultures through its isiXhosa name meaning 'revealing widely.'