Our galaxy is composed of over 100 billion stars. And there are billions of galaxies in the universe. The farthest galaxies discovered are so far away it takes their light nearly ten billion years to reach the earth. We have discovered that most galaxies are part of a group called a cluster. Our Milky Way is part of a group of about 40 galaxies known as the Local Group.
Most clusters tend to be part of a larger grouping called a supercluster.
The local group is part of a larger supercluster called the Virgo cluster. This massive cluster contains over 2000 member galaxies. As astronomers begin to map the locations of these galaxies, a grand structure is beginning to take shape. What once appeared to be a random distribution of galaxies is now revealing itself to be a complicated design. Galaxies seem to be grouped together in what appears to be a very complex sponge-like arrangement.