Quasar quartet embedded in giant nebula reveals rare massive structure in distant universe

All galaxies once passed through a hyperluminous quasar phase powered by accretion onto a supermassive black hole. But because these episodes are brief, quasars are rare objects typically separated by cosmological distances. In a survey for Lyman-alpha emission at redshift z approximate to 2, we discovered a physical association of four quasars embedded in a giant nebula. Located within a substantial overdensity of galaxies, this system is probably the progenitor of a massive galaxy cluster. The chance probability of finding a quadruple quasar is estimated to be similar to 10(-7), implying a physical connection between Lyman-alpha nebulae and the locations of rare protoclusters. Our findings imply that the most massive structures in the distant universe have a tremendous supply (similar or equal to 10(11) solar masses) of cool dense (volume density similar or equal to 1 cm(-3)) gas, which is in conflict with current cosmological simulations.