Now a 3D atlas on a million galaxies

A team of astronomers have constructed the largest-ever 3D map of a million galaxies. ?We now have a precise view of what makes up our Universe, but little idea as to why,? said Prof Ofer Lahav, a member of the team said.

A team of astronomers have constructed the largest-ever 3D map of a million galaxies. “We now have a precise view of what makes up our Universe, but little idea as to why,” said Prof Ofer Lahav, a member of the team said.

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“It is intriguing that the ordinary matter our bodies are made of and that we experience in everyday life only accounts for a few percent of the total cosmic budget,” he added.

The new cosmic map is the largest to date — a three-dimensional atlas of over a million galaxies spread over a distance of more than 5 billion light years. The findings confirm that we live in a Universe filled with mysterious dark matter and dark energy.

By measuring the positions of galaxies, astronomers can unravel the balance of forces that govern our Universe: the force of gravity which pulls everything together, and the competing effect of the expanding Universe which smooths things out.