What's the Most Massive Object in the Universe?

Pedro_P

A galaxy pileup of 14 merging galaxies known as SPT2349 is currently the biggest known object in the universe.

▼ There's nothing like staring up at the night sky to make you feel small.
But when looking out into the cosmos, you might also wonder: What is the most massive known object in the universe?
In some ways, the question depends on what is meant by the word "object." Astronomers have spotted structures like the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall ­— a colossal filament of gas, dust and dark mattercontaining billions of galaxies that stretches for about 10 billion light-years in length — which could contend for the title of biggest object ever. But classifying this assembly as a unique object is problematic because it's hard to figure out exactly where it begins and ends.
"Object" actually has a clear definition in physics or astrophysics, said Scott Chapman, an astrophysicist at Dalhousie University in Halifax, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. "That's something bound together by its own self-gravity," he said, such as a planet, star or the stars orbiting within a single galaxy.
With this in mind, it's a bit easier to figure out what's in the running for the most massive thing in the universe. The award could go to different entities depending on the scale being considered, but each prizewinner has provided scientists insights into the limits of size and mass in the cosmos. (▪ ▪ ▪)

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booklover1980

Wow, actually makes you realise your own insignificance in the grand scheme of things