The warping of spacetime at galactic and larger scales is a consequence of general relativity, which explains gravity as a result of the curvature of spacetime caused by mass and energy. At these expansive scales, the distribution and mass of galaxies, galaxy clusters, dark matter, and dark energy all contribute to how spacetime is shaped.
Galaxies and clusters of galaxies are massive enough to create significant dents in spacetime. This warping is what governs the motion of stars within galaxies and galaxies within clusters. Moreover, it affects the path of light traveling through these regions, leading to phenomena such as gravitational lensing. This effect can magnify, distort, or multiply the images of background objects like distant galaxies and quasars, providing valuable information about the mass distribution in the universe.
On even larger scales, the cumulative effect of countless massive objects leads to an intricate cosmic web structure. This web consists of filaments of dark matter and galaxies, vast voids, and dense clusters. Dark energy, on the other hand, promotes the accelerated expansion of the universe, counteracting the attractive nature of gravity over large distances.
Overall, the warping of spacetime at these scales governs the large-scale structure and dynamic behavior of the universe, influencing gravitational interactions and the distribution of matter on a cosmic scale.