A conversation over beer: What is the largest known thing in the Universe?

Dr. Jon Hakkila

(UAH)

Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous sources in the universe. They can be seen to very large distances, and back to times when the universe was much younger. Because of this, GRB clustering can be used to probe the large scale structure of the universe, and a large diffuse GRB cluster known as the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall is currently the largest known structure in the universe. Spoiler alert: This structure is one of ten known that current theories say are too large to exist!