Giant Filament of Hot Gas Solves 'Missing Matter' Mystery

Astronomers have discovered a vast tendril of hot gas, 23 million light-years long—230 times the length of our galaxy—connecting four galaxy clusters. This filament, ten times the mass of the Milky Way, accounts for a significant portion of the universe's 'missing matter,' a decades-long puzzle. This 'missing matter' refers to ordinary baryonic matter, not dark matter. The discovery confirms existing cosmological models and sheds light on the Cosmic Web, the large-scale structure along which galaxies formed. X-ray data from XMM-Newton and Suzaku telescopes were crucial in characterizing the filament, revealing its astonishing temperature of 10 million degrees Celsius. This research provides valuable insights into the connections between extreme cosmic structures and strengthens our understanding of the universe's formation.