© Kraan-Korteweg & Lahav, 1998, Scientific American



Big Bang Theory is the most widely accepted account
of the origin of the universe.

It holds that some 10 to 20 billion years ago, every-
thing that was to become our universe was contained
in an unimaginably small and dense mass.

Then suddenly, it exploded - hurling matter and
energy outward; eventually forming the universe we
know today.

Consistent with Big Bang theory is the assumption
that all galaxies are flying apart from one another;

and they are doing so in in an orderly, predictable
and uniform manner -

. . like raisins in a rising loaf of bread, or dots on
the surface of an inflating balloon.
- Rem B. Edwards, What Caused The Big Bang?

However, in the late 1980's it was discovered that
the universe was not expanding uniformly;

millions of galaxies seemed to be moving together;
as though they were streaming towards something,

like a raft being pulled downstream . . . toward
some cosmic Niagara
- Dennis Overbye, the New York Times

In 1986 the location of this mysterious, stupendously
large "cosmic Niagara" was reported by a team of
astronomers headed by Sandra M. Faber.

It is to be found in the southern sky, in the direction
of the constellation of Centaurus, some 250 light
years from the Milky Way.

It is 400 million light years in size; and it's mass,
believed to consist mostly of dark matter, is 100
quadrillion times greater than our Sun.

This colossus is known as The Great Attractor; and
among the galaxies hurling towards it is our own
Milky Way -

At a speed of more than 1,000,000 miles per hour