Key Information
Virgo Supercluster
| Type | Galaxy Supercluster |
| Parent Structure | Laniakea Supercluster |
| Combined Mass | About 1,480,000,000,000,000 M☉ |
| Luminosity (Brightness) | 3,000,000,000,000 L☉ |
Learning Point
- The Virgo Supercluster is the supercluster we are part of. It contains thousands of galaxies that are linked together by gravity, similar to how planets are linked together around the star they orbit. It it part of an even larger structure of galaxies that form our section of the universe.
Project
- Draw a map of the Virgo Supercluster showing where we are.
- Overview
- Map
Location
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| Located in | Laniakea Supercluster |
Fun Facts
- There are at least 100 galaxy groups in our local supercluster.
- It is one of 10 million superclusters that we can currently see.
- They used to call a supercluster a supergalaxy, but that was changed when it was realised it doesn’t describe how the galaxies are organised very well.
- It it not a particularly impressive supercluster, with it having only one large group of clustered galaxies near the centre, and smaller and fainter groups around the edges.
Past Lessons
| 174 | April 30, 2024 | (North America) |