unromantically, as the Local Group. The Local Group lies in the outer regions of the Virgo Cluster, which has about a thousand galaxies. This is part of the Local Supercluster, which includes hundreds of groups of galaxies. It would take you one hundred million years traveling at the speed of light to cross it. In 2014, it was found that the Local Supercluster is part of a vast cosmic empire with perhaps a hundred thousand galaxies, and to cross that would take you four hundred million years traveling at the speed of light. This empire is the Laniakea (Hawaiian for “immeasurable heaven”)
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