14.0 Learning Objectives

In this chapter, students will learn how to:

• Explain the fundamental question in astronomy and cosmology, “How did galaxies and large-scale structures in the universe form and evolve?”
• Describe Edwin Hubble’s two crucial discoveries from his survey of galaxies and their implications for understanding the large-scale structure of the universe.
• Differentiate and compare the distribution of galaxies in various regions of the universe, including clusters, voids, and filamentary superclusters, and interpret the implications of these structures on the large-scale structure of the cosmos.
• Summarize the evidence supporting the existence of dark matter in galaxies and galaxy clusters.
• Evaluate the challenges and limitations of mapping the universe.