Context:
Recently an astonishingly humongous ‘rings’ have been found in space which challenges what we know of the universe.
Big Ring:
- Ring-shaped structure made up of galaxies and galaxy clusters.
- Also called as colossal cosmic structure
- 7th largest Giant structure discovered in the universe
- Other Giant structures –Giant Arc, Sloan Great Wall, South Pole Wall, Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall.
Theories:
- Cosmological Principle – states that on large scales, the distribution of matter in the universe should be even and that no region should look different from any other region.
- Conformal Cyclic Cosmology – the universe goes through infinite cycles. Each cycle begins with Big Bang having evidence in signatures of the cosmic microwave background — so called radiation remnant of the Big Bang.
- String Theory – universe is constructed by tiny vibrating strings, smaller than the smallest subatomic particles.
- Cosmic strings – small, thin flaw, crack, defect or flow in the very fabric of space time whose energies are capable of twisting and distorting space time.
- Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations (BAOs)- a remnants of previous sound waves from the early universe, frozen in the large-scale distribution of matter. Act as cosmic rulers – helps scientists measure the universe’s expansion, revealing insights into its history and structure.
- Quasars – bright objects powered by super massive black holes blasting out ferocious fountains of energy as they engorge themselves on gas, dust, and anything else within their gravitational grasp.
Read more about: Big Bang | Black Hole | Light Years
Source: Indian Express
Previous Year Question
Recently, scientists observed the merger of giant ‘blackholes’ billions of light-years away from the Earth. What is the significance of this observation?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2019 Prelims]
(a) A ‘Higgs boson particles’ were detected.
(b) ‘Gravitational waves’ were detected.
(c) Possibility of inter-galactic space travel through Svormhole’ was confirmed.
(d) It enabled the scientists to understand ‘singularity’.
Answer: (b)
