Amazing Universe

The Cosmic Web – The Universe's Hidden Skeleton


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In Episode 33 of Amazing Universe, we explore the cosmic web, the enormous and intricate structure that shapes the universe on its largest scales. The episode explains how the cosmic web is composed of filaments, nodes, and voids, forming a vast network stretching across billions of light-years. Born from tiny density fluctuations after the Big Bang, the web developed over billions of years as gravity—especially from dark matter—pulled matter into long threads and massive clusters.

Listeners learn how astronomers map this invisible structure using galaxy surveys, gravitational lensing, and powerful computer simulations, revealing that galaxies gather along filaments while enormous voids remain nearly empty. The episode shows how the cosmic web guides the flow of gas, fuels star formation, and shapes the growth of galaxies, acting like a cosmic circulatory system.

Finally, the episode reflects on the future of the cosmic web as the universe continues expanding, gradually thinning out over trillions of years. The cosmic web is presented not only as a structure, but as the universe's hidden skeleton — a reminder that everything we see, including the Milky Way, is part of a vast, interconnected cosmic tapestry.

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Amazing UniverseBy Nina Wolf