Final answer:
The structure of the universe at a large scale, based on galaxy surveys, is characterized by filamentary superclusters connecting galaxy clusters and surrounding vast voids devoid of galaxies, forming a giant cosmic web.
Step-by-step explanation:
The structures observed among superclusters of galaxies, as mapped by surveys like the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey, are filamentary formations surrounding vast voids. These filaments of galaxies make up complex structures where clusters and superclusters are intertwined, creating a cosmic web with large empty spaces known as voids. Some structures resemble torn sheets of paper, extending hundreds of millions of light-years across but are only 10 to 20 million light-years thick in the third dimension.
Moreover, these clusters and superclusters follow the cosmological principle, which suggests that the large-scale universe is homogeneous and isotropic—yet within that uniformity, the distribution of galaxies is not even. Instead, it shows a clumpy nature with great arcs and filamentary structures where galaxies are tightly packed, contrasting with voids that contain few or no galaxies. This complex, sponge-like structure is a consequence of gravitational forces pulling galaxies into groups, which later form clusters and eventually the larger superclusters.