Vast stellar stream trailing M61 (NGC 4303)

[Maxmars]

Even before its full science operations have begun, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has already helped astronomers find something remarkable. The observatory's first images, revealed in June, contained a deep view of the Virgo cluster, the closest and best-studied cluster of galaxies. And in the bottom-right of the image, eagle-eyed astronomers saw something unexpected — a razor-thin stream of stars arcing away from one of the cluster's galaxies.

Looks like this shadowy stream means M61 has some 'splaining to do.

Reportedly such streams do exist elsewhere in the observed universe...
but this is 'stream' is over 160,000 light years long... about an order of magnitude 
larger than the average length observed...

[Edit to add:  Ack! I forgot the source link: First Vera Rubin Observatory image reveals hidden structure as long as the Milky Way trailing behind a nearby galaxy — Space photo of the week

[Kurokage]

Reportedly such streams do exist elsewhere in the observed universe...
but this is 'stream' is over 160,000 light years long... about an order of magnitude 
larger than the average length observed...

It really is hard to get your head around how long that stream stretches for, even when they say "which is comparable to the diameter of our Milky Way galaxy."

[Maxmars]

It really is hard to get your head around how long that stream stretches for, even when they say "which is comparable to the diameter of our Milky Way galaxy."

I can't begin to comprehend how some 'force' or 'process' of nature actually ... uh... 'forged' this incredibly long... do we call it a structure, really.  It seems more of a "wake" or "edge" of some unseen 'presence' displacing the stars...

It also occurred to me that what if this trail of cosmic members actually were dribbling behind the galaxy itself, as if they lost some tether to it as it moved on...

It sucks not being a scientist... they get to play with more suitable words ... 

Ugh... I kind of like this "discovery"...
And I can't wait for the mythology to follow. 
Don't fight it... be the willow.

[Kurokage]

I can't begin to comprehend how some 'force' or 'process' of nature actually ... uh... 'forged' this incredibly long... do we call it a structure, really.  It seems more of a "wake" or "edge" of some unseen 'presence' displacing the stars...

It also occurred to me that what if this trail of cosmic members actually were dribbling behind the galaxy itself, as if they lost some tether to it as it moved on...

It sucks not being a scientist... they get to play with more suitable words ... 

Ugh... I kind of like this "discovery"...
And I can't wait for the mythology to follow. 
Don't fight it... be the willow.

The structure I find most fascinating in cosmology are 'galaxy filaments' 
Every time I look at at a simulated picture of them, I instantly think brain scan, and wonder... 

from wiki...

In cosmology, galaxy filaments are the largest known structures in the universe, consisting of walls of galactic superclusters. These massive, thread-like formations can commonly reach 50 to 80 megaparsecs (160 to 260 megalight-years)—with the largest found to date being Quipu (400 megaparsecs),[sup][1][/sup][sup][2][/sup] and possibly the still unconfirmed Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall at around 3 gigaparsecs (9.8 Gly) in length—and form the boundaries between voids.[sup][3][/sup] Due to the accelerating expansion of the universe, the individual clusters of gravitationally bound galaxies that make up galaxy filaments are moving away from each other at an accelerated rate; in the far future they will dissolve.[sup][4][/sup]
Galaxy filaments form the cosmic web and define the overall structure of the observable universe.[sup][5][/sup][sup][6][/sup][sup][7][/sup]

[Bush Master]

I just watched a video from Anton on the subject. It's surprising this isn't more widely discussed.