A team of researchers using ESA’s XMM-Newton X-ray observatory found three massive filaments comprising hot gas that were flowing towards a cluster of massive galaxies.

The findings of the study published in the journal Nature this week showed that the discovery was the first ever unambiguous detection of gas in the cosmic web.

Study lead author Dominique Eckert of the University of Geneva, Switzerland, said in a statement that this was an unexpected discovery.

The object that the researchers studied during their study is Abell 2744, which has been nicknamed as the Pandora Cluster. The object comprises of at least four smaller components that appear to be merging, said researchers.

“We knew that this is an incredibly massive cluster hosting active processes at its core, and seeing its direct connection to the cosmic web confirms our picture of how structures form in the Universe”, said Dr Eckert.

Researchers said they made the discovery after a continuous 30 hours of observations by XMM-Newton in December 2014. They found five large structures of hot gads that appeared to be linked with the core of Abell 2744.

After comparison of the X-ray data with optical observations researchers found the galaxies that belonged to various filaments. Three of the galaxies were found to be physically connected to the cluster whereas the other two were the projection of more distant structures viewed along the same line of sight.

Norbert Schartel, ESA XMM-Newton Project Scientist, said discovery of filaments around Abell 2744 has helped to witness the build-up of the cosmic web in one of the busiest place in the known Universe.