Context: Researchers from the University of Oxford reported a cosmic filament roughly 50 million light-years long, traced by at least 14 galaxies.
About Cosmic Filaments
- Definition: Cosmic or galaxy filaments are largest thread-like structures in the cosmic web.
- Scale: Single filaments can span hundreds of millions of light-years.
- Formation: Result from gravitational attraction pulling gas, dark matter, and galaxies into long, thin strands linking galaxy clusters.
- Relationship with Voids: Surround vast empty regions of space called cosmic voids.
Importance in Cosmology
- Galaxy Formation & Distribution: Filaments help astronomers understand how galaxies form and cluster.
- Matter Flow: Act as highways feeding gas and dark matter into dense regions, influencing the growth of galaxy clusters.
- Cosmic Web Mapping: Provide insight into the large-scale structure of the universe.
IAS-2026 - OPTIONAL / GEOGRAPHY / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / SOCIOLOGY / ANTHROPOLOGY / ORIENTATION ON 03 & 04-10-2025 
