The galaxy cluster is 500 billion billion times heavier than the Sun.

Astronomers analyze the largest cluster of galaxies that existed in the early days of the universe and estimated it had more than 500 billion billion times the mass of the Sun.

According to Science Alert, the galaxy cluster officially named IDCS J1426.5 + 3508 or IDCS 1426 for short , lies 10 billion light-years from Earth. It is far from the light that scientists have discovered since it dates back to the beginning of the universe.

"Compared to all the structures we've ever observed, this is the largest celestial body in the first 4 billion years of the universe," said astronomer Mark Brodwin of the University of Missouri, Kansas, USA. the annual meeting takes place in early January of the American Astrophysics Association.

Galactic clusters such as IDCS 1426 are the largest objects in the universe , linked together by gravity, formed from hundreds or thousands of individual galaxies.

The giant galaxy cluster is 500 billion billion times more massive than the Sun.(Artwork: NASA).

IDCS 1426 was first discovered in 2012 through the Spitzer Space Telescope of the US Aerospace Agency (NASA). Later, astronomers conducted a study of galaxy clusters with the Hubble Space Telescope and Keck Observation Station. Brodwin's team uses the Chandra X-ray Astronomical Station to learn more about the galaxy cluster.

According to the researchers, the distance of IDCS 1426 means that we are seeing galaxy clusters when it is young, corresponding to the new universe spanning 3.8 billion years. The new data reveals about 90% of IDCS 1426's mass as dark matter, a form of material that people know little about.

"We are really expanding the boundaries with this discovery. As one of the earliest structures formed between the universe, galaxy clusters open the premise for the hypothesis that explains the evolution of clusters. galaxies and galaxies, " Brodwin said.

The Chandra image shows that there is a very bright set of X-rays near the center of ICDS 1426. According to astronomers, this extra-solid core is ejected from the center of the galaxy, possibly due to merged with a growing cluster of galaxies 500 million years ago. The merging process causes the core part to move chaotic inside ICDS 1426.

"The merger with other galaxy groups and clusters is more common in the early universe. That process plays an important role in the rapid formation of young galaxy clusters , " said Michael McDonald, a researcher. Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, said.

In addition to the relatively cold core, other parts of the galaxy cluster contain extremely hot gas , making the team think that IDCS 1426 is forming very quickly. With an unusually high amount of elements than hydrogen and low helium, the galaxy cluster may still be in the process of adding elements to the hot gas.

IDCS 1426 is smaller than the "El Gordo" galaxy cluster discovered by NASA in 2014, but over time, it has the ability to grow to the same size and volume. " In terms of data, this is the precursor to El Gardo," Brodwin commented.