The Lyman Alpha Forest . ... GCCC Explanation: We live in a forest. Strewn throughout the universe are "trees" of hydrogen gas that absorb light from distant objects. These gas clouds leave numerous absorption lines in a distant quasar 's spectra , together called the Lyman-alpha forest . Distant quasars appear to be absorbed by many more Lyman-alpha clouds than nearby quasars, indicating a Lyman-alpha thicket early in our universe. ... NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers . ...