With the 2dF survey we can detect quasars to distances of about 14 billion light years. Image by Anglo-Australian Observatory. The structure is much lumpier at large scales than anyone predicted. For this reason, we can say that the survey quasars are truly tracing the map of creation. Cosmological models that predict less lumpiness at large scales are in trouble, said Dr. Smith.
Quasars are the bright cores of distant galaxies.
They make exceptionally luminous 'cosmic beacons' that can be easily seen out to a distance of 10 billion light-years, much further than galaxies. The unprecedented size of the 2dF survey means it can capture structure on scales of up to 1000 million light-years, which has never been possible before. Imagine the Universe is a room. Now we've opened the door at least a chink. Imagine that the quasars are streetlights, marking out the structure of a city such as New York.