In the early part of the universe the initial distribution of matter was not uniform, but if considered on a large scale, was almost homogeneous. So, on a scale of billions of years, gravitational forces "condensed" the matter more and more. First the galaxies were formed, then the clusters and superclusters, and finally the larger structures like the attractors. Measurement of the positions of thousands of galaxies also shows that their distribution is not uniform. Galaxies and clusters are gathered in huge flat aggregates, like gigantic "sheets", and long ones, called "filaments", separated by immense empty regions, the so-called "voids". The whole structure of the Universe resembles a "sponge". Moreover, many clusters of galaxies are involved in motions towards other gigantic clusters, called "attractors" due to their gravitational force. What are your thoughts or prefered theories on the next stages of the universe? Will gravitational forces begin coalescing together the gigantic "sheets" and "filaments" of galactic matter? Perhaps creating much larger structures of matter condensed into smaller regions of space?
There is so much space between the sheets that it would be a long time in coming for such to combine into greater masses. I had went back looking for two posts made earlier in the year. One dealing with the Great Wall and another on the Stick Man. Both are the results of studying how galaxies cluster and at what distance they are from us. The idea was that such clusters should be in uniform distance from us and each other. In the process of mapping these distances to objects was when it was first discovered that these sheets and clusters formed structures. Even that the sheets existed. Here is one such link to the Stick Man. A picture made from this attempt at mapping by distance. It shows a cluster of galaxies, in sheet form, that resembles the figure of a stick man. http://www.sciforums.com/t2911/s/thread.html An interesting topic, Q.
