Ring-shaped large-scale structure near the constellation Boötes
This article is about the configuration of galaxy clusters in the distant universe. For other uses, see big ring (disambiguation).
The Big Ring is a ring-shaped large-scale structure formed by galaxies and galaxy clusters with a diameter of 1.3 billion light years, located 9.2 billion light years away.[1] It appears near the constellation Boötes. It was discovered in 2024 by Alexia Lopez, a PhD student at the University of Central Lancashire. In 2021, she discovered the Giant Arc, a similar structure located in the same region.[2][3][4]
Lopez has no theoretical model to account for the existence of the gigantic galactic formations, stating “Neither of these two ultra-large structures is easy to explain in our current understanding of the universe."[5]
