The Cosmic Web: Universe's Largest Structure and Its Ultimate Fate

Discover the Cosmic Web, the largest known structure in the universe: a vast three-dimensional network organizing all galaxies. In this episode, we explore how luminous filaments of matter connect dense galaxy clusters while surrounding enormous cosmic voids that are nearly empty.

Learn how dark matter (27% of the universe) forms the invisible scaffolding that guides gas and ordinary matter to eventually form stars and galaxies. We'll reveal how this magnificent structure emerged from tiny fluctuations after the Big Bang and how astronomers map it today using galaxy surveys and gravitational lensing.

Finally, we examine the web's distant future: as dark energy accelerates the universe's expansion, this cosmic architecture will eventually dissolve, isolating galaxy clusters across unfathomable distances.