The
Center for Astrophysics '(CfA)
Redshift Survey' was the first attempt to map the
large-scale structure of the universe. It began in 1977 with the initial data collection completed in 1982.
[1] Data from the second CfA survey (1985–95) made possible the 1989 discovery of the ''
Great Wall'', a
supercluster of
galaxies[2] surrounded by voids that surprised astronomers because its size was larger than what could be produced by
gravitational collapse since the
beginning of the universe. Since then, superclusters have been described as artifacts of
quantum fluctuations in the
inflationary epoch of the universe.
References
1. CfA Redshift Survey and Catalog Retrieved April 7, 2007
2. M. J. Geller & J. P. Huchra, Science 246, 897 (1989) Retrieved April 7, 2007