astronomy

Ophiuchus Supercluster

Ophiuchus Supercluster is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ophiuchus Supercluster rather than just read about it. In short: The Ophiuchus Supercluster is a nearby galaxy supercluster in the constellation Ophiuchus. The supercluster forms the far wall of the Ophiuchus Void; it may also be connected in a filament with the Pavo-Indus-Telescopium and the Hercules Superclusters.

Key takeaways

Ophiuchus Supercluster belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ophiuchus Supercluster to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ophiuchus Supercluster from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Ophiuchus Supercluster is a nearby galaxy supercluster in the constellation Ophiuchus. The supercluster forms the far wall of the Ophiuchus Void; it may also be connected in a filament with the Pavo-Indus-Telescopium and the Hercules Superclusters. This supercluster is centered on the cD cluster (Abell class type I) Ophiuchus Cluster, and has at least two more galaxy clusters, four more galaxy groups, and several field galaxies as members.

Significance In 2014, it was identified that the Ophiuchus Cluster, alongside its surroundings, is part of a greater supercluster, Laniakea—a basin of attraction centered on the Great Attractor, in which the Virgo Supercluster is also now considered a lobe of. A subsequent study based on observations of basins of attraction suggested a basin of attraction around Ophiuchus Cluster may be associated with Laniakea, and also have found both are moving toward the Shapley Concentration. They have hence been suggested to be likely part of this even larger structure. In February 2020, astronomers reported that a 1.5 million light-year wide cavity in the Ophiuchus Supercluster originated from the central galaxy of the Ophiuchus Cluster. The cD galaxy, NeVe 1, is the site of the Ophiuchus Supercluster eruption, triggered by the ejection of ~270 million solar masses (M☉) from the supermassive black hole of NeVe 1, called WISEA J171227.81-232210.7. This may be the largest known explosion in the observable universe since the Big Bang.

Discovery Ken-ichi Wakamatsu of Gifu University and Matthew Malkan discovered Ophiuchus Cluster in 1981 on Palomar Schmidt IV-N Plates during a hidden globular cluster survey. Perhaps, determining characteristics of a supercluster will help to more correctly explain the excess velocity component of the local group of galaxies.

Notes

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ophiuchus Supercluster

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ophiuchus Supercluster claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ophiuchus Supercluster before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ophiuchus Supercluster ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ophiuchus Supercluster

In research: Ophiuchus Supercluster appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ophiuchus Supercluster in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ophiuchus Supercluster is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Galaxy superclusters, Laniakea Supercluster, Ophiuchus, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ophiuchus Supercluster outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ophiuchus Supercluster in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ophiuchus Supercluster means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ophiuchus Supercluster out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ophiuchus Supercluster in simple terms?

Why does Ophiuchus Supercluster matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ophiuchus Supercluster?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ophiuchus Supercluster.