Astronomers at the Max Planck Institute for Physics have discovered a massive cosmic structure known as Quipu, which is the largest object in the universe. Spanning over 1.4 billion lightyears across space, Quipu contains 70 linked superclusters and is hundreds of thousands times bigger than the Milky Way.
This discovery challenges our understanding of the universe’s evolution, as the formation of such a large structure should theoretically take longer than the universe itself. However, researchers have found that Quipu is bound to fall apart over time due to cosmic forces.
The name “Quipu” was inspired by an ancient Incan counting system, but in this context, it refers to the complex network of galaxies and clusters within the structure. The discovery was made possible by new technology that detects cosmic structures and uses algorithms to identify potential superclusters.
While Quipu’s existence raises existential questions about the universe’s origins, researchers believe its fate is sealed. “In the future cosmic evolution, these superstructures are bound to break up into several collapsing units,” they said.
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