Check out this illuminating video based on the Virgo Consortium’s Millennium Run simulation. Keep in mind that the original simulation is five years old, and it only describes a cubic region of the universe 2 billion light-years per edge. However, it’s still a very effective way to describe the structure of the universe based on current astrophysics. Having a working model of the universe was a key reference for writing Gravity, given the locations in the story and the essential role the universe itself plays in the plot.
The Max Planck Society provides greater detail of the Millennium Run modeling process and applications in their original press release.
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