A 1.3bn light year-sized ring discovered by PhD student in Lancashire appears to defy the cosmological principle assumption

Astronomers have discovered a ring-shaped cosmic megastructure, the proportions of which challenge existing theories of the universe.

The so-called Big Ring has a diameter of about 1.3bn light years, making it among the largest structures ever observed. At more than 9bn light years from Earth, it is too faint to see directly, but its diameter on the night sky would be equivalent to 15 full moons.

The observations, presented on Thursday at the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in New Orleans, are significant because the size of the Big Ring appears to defy a fundamental assumption in cosmology called the cosmological principle. This states that above a certain spatial scale, the universe is homogeneous and looks identical in every direction.

  • Optional
    link
    fedilink
    -201 year ago

    Sure lemme just lick the cheeto dust off my fingers as I slide down from this tall stool here. Ahh ok.

    The true nature of the universe is that of consciousness and we can learn more about it by developing our ability to focus consciousness, to lucid dream and to trust our instincts than we can through microscopes and telescopes.

    However, well all know we’re not going to do that, or at least we’re not going to fund that and admit it, so. Yeah it’s a mystery. Probably some kinda math thing. Maybe we forgot to carry the 1.

    • Onii-Chan
      link
      fedilink
      31 year ago

      Whilst I agree with you in that consciousness is the true nature of the universe, it’s science and its disciplines that will slowly help us understand what it actually is and why we even experience existence in the first place.