List of largest cosmic structures


This is a list of the largest cosmic structures so far discovered. The unit of measurement used is the light-year.
This list includes superclusters, galaxy filaments and large quasar groups. The structures are listed based on their longest dimension.
This list refers only to coupling of matter with defined limits, and not the coupling of matter in general. All structures in this list are defined as to whether their presiding limits have been identified.
There are some reasons to be cautious about this list:
  • The Zone of Avoidance, or the part of the sky occupied by the Milky Way, blocks out light from several structures, making their limits imprecisely identified.
  • Some structures are too distant to be seen even with the most powerful telescopes.
  • Some structures have no defined limits, or endpoints. All structures are believed to be part of the cosmic web, which is a conclusive idea. Most structures are overlapped by nearby galaxies, creating a problem of how to carefully define the structure's limit.
  • Interpreting the observational data requires assumptions about gravitational lensing, redshift, etc.

List of largest structures

Structure name
Maximum dimension
Notes
Hercules–Corona Borealis Great Wall 9,700,000,000–10,000,000,000Discovered through gamma-ray burst mapping. Existence as a structure is disputed.
Giant GRB Ring 5,600,000,000Discovered through gamma-ray burst mapping. Largest-known regular formation in the observable universe.
Huge-LQG 4,000,000,000Decoupling of 73 quasars. Largest-known large quasar group and the first structure found to exceed 3 billion light-years.
"Giant Arc" 3,300,000,000Located 9.2 billion light years away.
U1.11 LQG 2,500,000,000Involves 38 quasars. Adjacent to the Clowes-Campusano LQG.
Clowes–Campusano LQG 2,000,000,000Grouping of 34 quasars. Discovered by Roger Clowes and Luis Campusano.
Sloan Great Wall 1,380,000,000Discovered through the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.
South Pole Wall 1,370,000,000The largest contiguous feature in the local volume and comparable to the Sloan Great Wall at half the distance. It is located at the celestial South Pole.
King Ghidorah Supercluster 1,300,000,000Consists of at least 15 clusters plus other interconnected filaments. It is the most massive galaxy supercluster discovered so far.
Big Ring 1,300,000,000Made up of galaxy clusters.
1,200,000,000Structures larger than this size are incompatible with the cosmological principle according to all estimates. However, whether the existence of these structures itself constitutes a refutation of the cosmological principle is still unclear.
Ho'oleilana Bubble 1,000,000,000Contains about 56,000 galaxies, located 820 million light years away.
BOSS Great Wall 1,000,000,000Structure consisting of 4 superclusters of galaxies. The mass and volume exceeds the amount of the Sloan Great Wall.
Perseus–Pegasus Filament 1,000,000,000This galaxy filament contains the Perseus–Pisces Supercluster.
Pisces–Cetus Supercluster Complex 1,000,000,000Contains the Milky Way, and is the first galaxy filament to be discovered. A new report in 2014 confirms the Milky Way as a member of the Laniakea Supercluster.
CfA2 Great Wall 750,000,000Also known as the Coma Wall.
Saraswati Supercluster652,000,000The Saraswati Supercluster consists of 43 massive galaxy clusters, which include Abell 2361 and ZWCl 2341.1+0000.
Boötes Supercluster620,000,000
Horologium-Reticulum Supercluster 550,000,000Also known as the Horologium Supercluster.
Laniakea Supercluster 520,000,000Galaxy supercluster in which Earth is located.
Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 11500,000,000Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash.
Hyperion proto-supercluster 489,000,000The largest and earliest known proto– supercluster.
Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 12480,000,000Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash.
Newman LQG 450,000,000Discovered Peter R Newman et al.
Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 5430,000,000Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash.
Tesch–Engels LQG420,000,000
Shapley Supercluster400,000,000First identified by Harlow Shapley as a cloud of galaxies in 1930, it was not identified as a structure until 1989.
Komberg–Kravstov–Lukash LQG 3390,000,000Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash.
U1.90380,000,000
Lynx–Ursa Major Filament 370,000,000
Sculptor Wall370,000,000Also known as the Southern Great Wall.
Einasto Supercluster360,000,000
Pisces-Cetus Supercluster350,000,000
Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 2350,000,000Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash.
z=2.38 filament around protocluster ClG J2143-4423330,000,000
Webster LQG320,000,000First LQG discovered.
Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 8310,000,000Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash.
Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 1280,000,000Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash.
Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 6260,000,000Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash.
Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 7250,000,000Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash.
SCL @ 1338+27228,314,341One of the most distant known superclusters.
Komberg–Kravtsov–Lukash LQG 9200,000,000Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash.
SSA22 Protocluster200,000,000Giant collection of Lyman-alpha blobs.
Ursa Major Supercluster200,000,000
Komberg-Kravtsov-Lukash LQG 10180,000,000Discovered by Boris V. Komberg, Andrey V. Kravstov and Vladimir N. Lukash.
Virgo Supercluster110,000,000A part of the Laniakea Supercluster. It also contains the Milky Way Galaxy, which contains the Solar System where Earth orbits the Sun.
Listed here for reference.

List of largest voids

Voids are immense spaces between galaxy filaments and other large-scale structures. Technically they are not structures. They are vast spaces which contain very few or no galaxies. They are theorized to be caused by quantum fluctuations during the early formation of the universe.
A list of the largest voids so far discovered is below. Each is ranked according to its longest dimension.
Void name/designationMaximum dimension
Notes
LOWZ North 13788 void2,953,000,000One of largest known voids, containing 109,066 known galaxies.
Local Hole2,000,000,000Proposed void containing the Milky Way galaxy and Local Group as an explanation for the discrepancy in the Hubble constant. Existence is still disputed.
LOWZ North 4739 void1,846,000,000
LOWZ North 16634 void1,671,000,000
LOWZ North 11627 void1,663,000,000
LOWZ South 4653 void1,610,000,000
LOWZ North 13222 void1,515,000,000
Giant Void1,300,000,000Also known as Canes Venatici Supervoid
LOWZ North 14348 void1,277,000,000
LOWZ South 5589 void1,110,000,000
LOWZ North 13721 void1,095,000,000
LOWZ North 11918 void998,000,000
LOWZ North 5692 void984,000,000
Bahcall & Soneira 1982 void978,000,000This suspected void ranged 100 degrees across the sky, and has shown up on other surveys as several separate voids.
LOWZ North 11446 void944,000,000
LOWZ North 15734 void938,000,000
LOWZ North 16394 void934,000,000
LOWZ North 8541 void917,000,000
LOWZ South 4775 void899,000,000
LOWZ North 12092 void891,000,000
LOWZ North 3294 void887,000,000
Tully-11 void880,000,000Catalogued by R. Brent Tully
CMASS South 7225 void865,000,000
LOWZ North 14775 void848,000,000
LOWZ South 6334 void846,000,000
LOWZ North 10254 void843,000,000
LOWZ North 13568 void841,000,000
LOWZ North 11954 void827,000,000
LOWZ North 3404 void812,000,000
LOWZ South 3713 void805,000,000
LOWZ South 4325 void804,000,000
CMASS South 5582 void796,000,000
Tully-10 void792,000,000Catalogued by R. Brent Tully
LOWZ North 6177 void789,000,000
Tully-9 void746,000,000Catalogued by R. Brent Tully
B&B Abell-20 void684,000,000
B&B Abell-9 void652,000,000
Tully-7 void567,240,000Catalogued by R. Brent Tully
Tully-4 void564,000,000Catalogued by R. Brent Tully
Tully-6 void557,460,000Catalogued by R. Brent Tully
Tully-8 void554,200,000Catalogued by R. Brent Tully
B&B Abell-21 void521,600,000
B&B Abell-28 void521,600,000
Eridanus Supervoid489,000,000
A recent analysis of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe in 2007 has found an irregularity of the temperature fluctuation of the cosmic microwave background within the vicinity of the constellation Eridanus with analysis found to be 70 microkelvins cooler than the average CMB temperature. One speculation is that a void could cause the cold spot, with the possible size on the left. However, it may be as large as 1 billion light-years, close to the size of the Giant Void.
B&B Abell-4 void489,000,000
B&B Abell-15 void489,000,000
Tully-3 void489,000,000Catalogued by R. Brent Tully
1994EEDTAWSS-10 void469,440,000
Tully-1 void456,400,000Catalogued by R. Brent Tully
B&B Abell-8 void456,000,000
B&B Abell-22 void456,000,000
Tully-2 void443,360,000Catalogued by R. Brent Tully
B&B Abell-24 void423,800,000
B&B Abell-27 void423,800,000
CMASS North 4407 void414,000,000
B&B Abell-7 void391,200,000
B&B Abell-12 void391,200,000
B&B Abell-29 void391,200,000
1994EEDTAWSS-21 void378,160,000
Southern Local Supervoid365,120,000
B&B Abell-10 void358,600,000
B&B Abell-11 void358,600,000
B&B Abell-13 void358,600,000
B&B Abell-17 void358,600,000
B&B Abell-19 void358,600,000
B&B Abell-23 void358,600,000
CMASS North 11496 void342,000,000
1994EEDTAWSS-19 void342,100,000
Northern Local Supervoid339,000,000Virgo Supercluster, Coma Supercluster, Perseus–Pisces Supercluster, Ursa Major-Lynx Supercluster, Hydra–Centaurus Supercluster, Sculptor Supercluster, Pavo–Corona Australis Supercluster form a sheet between the Northern Local Supervoid and the Southern Local Supervoid. The Hercules Supercluster separates the Northern Local Void from the Boötes Void. The Perseus-Pisces Supercluster and Pegasus Supercluster form a sheet separate the Northern Local Void and Southern Local Void from the Pegasus Void.
Boötes Void330,000,000Also known as The Giant Nothing
1994EEDTAWSS-12 void328,000,000
CMASS North 15935 void252,000,000
SSRS1 4 void217,000,000
GACIRASS V0 void215,000,000
CMASS North 60 void210,000,000
SSRS2 3 void198,000,000
Local Void195,000,000The nearest void to the Milky Way.
SSRS2 1 void177,000,000
IRAS 1 void166,000,000
Sculptor void163,000,000
IRAS 3 void145,000,000
IRAS 2 void142,000,000
IRAS 7 void141,000,000
SSRS2 11 void139,000,000
IRAS 6 void135,000,000
IRAS 13 void131,000,000
Pegasus Void130,000,000The Perseus–Pisces Supercluster and Pegasus Supercluster form a sheet separate the Northern Local Void and Southern Local Void from the Pegasus Void.
IRAS 8 void128,000,000
SSRS2 9 void127,000,000
IRAS 9 void117,000,000
IRAS 5 void117,000,000
SSRS2 4 void116,000,000
SSRS2 10 void113,000,000
SSRS1 1 void108,000,000Located just behind the galaxy concentration Eridanus-Fornax-Dorado.
IRAS 11 void104,000,000
SSRS2 6 void104,000,000
CMASS North 10020 void104,000,000
IRAS 12 void102,000,000
Perseus-Pisces void99,000,000
SSRS1 2 void97,000,000
IRAS 14 void93,000,000
SSRS2 8 void90,000,000
SSRS2 15 void89,000,000
GACIRASS V1 void83,000,000
SSRS2 7 void83,000,000
SSRS2 12 void81,000,000
GACIRASS V3 void81,000,000
SSRS2 14 void69,000,000
SSRS2 18 void68,000,000
SSRS2 16 void66,000,000
GACIRASS V2 void63,000,000
SSRS2 17 void61,000,000