Discover
/
Article

Redshift Surveys of Galaxies Find a Bubbly Universe

MAY 01, 1986

“The distribution of galaxies in [our] redshift survey is like a slice through the suds in the kitchen sink.” With this deceptively mundane metaphor, a report in the 1 March issue of Astrophysical Letters presents us with an astonishing new view of structure in the cosmos on the largest scale we know about. The authors, Valerie de Lapparent, Margaret Geller and John Huchra of the Harvard‐Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, conclude from a complete compilation of the redshifts of the 1100 brightest galaxies in an extensive strip of sky near our galactic north pole that the galaxies are sharply concentrated at the surfaces of contiguous, bubblelike structures with diameters as large as 50 megaparsecs (150 million light years).

This article is only available in PDF format

Related content
/
Article
In the closest thing yet obtained to a movie of a breaking chemical bond, there’s a surprise ending.
This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1986_05.jpeg

Volume 39, Number 5

Get PT in your inbox

pt_newsletter_card_blue.png
PT The Week in Physics

A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.

pt_newsletter_card_darkblue.png
PT New Issue Alert

Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.

pt_newsletter_card_pink.png
PT Webinars & White Papers

The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.

By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.