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Bootes Void

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science22 days ago•11 min saved

Boötes Void: The Universe’s Giant Emptiness Isn’t as Rare as It Seems

Astronomers have re-evaluated the Boötes Void, a vast region once hailed as the largest hole in the universe. Earlier redshift surveys suggested it should contain about 2,000 galaxies, but later measurements found far fewer galaxies (around 60) and a smaller radius, showing the void is large but not anomalously so. Modern studies view Boötes as a fairly ordinary, oversized void likely formed by the merging of smaller voids, a common feature in the cosmic web. Nevertheless, such voids remain valuable for testing cosmology, dark energy, and gravity at the largest scales.

via Space Daily|

#bootes-void #cosmic-voids #dark-energy

space2 months ago•11 min saved

The Boötes Void: a colossal cosmic gap that tests our picture of the universe

The Boötes Void is a roughly 330‑million‑light‑year‑wide region in the direction of the Boötes constellation that is almost empty but not a true vacuum, centered about 700 million light‑years from Earth. Identified in the 1980s, it contains about 60 galaxies—far fewer than the ~2,000 expected if it had average density—likely formed by merging smaller voids in the cosmic web. While unusually large, voids are expected in the standard cosmological model and offer clean laboratories for studying galaxy formation and cosmology. A famous thought experiment by Greg Aldering suggests that if the Milky Way were at the void’s center, we might not have known there were other galaxies until the 1960s, underscoring the scale of observational limits at such distances.

via Space Daily|

#astronomy #bootes-void #cosmic-web

science11 months ago•4 min saved

Scientists Suggest We Live in a Vast 2 Billion Light-Year Void

Astronomers have identified enormous cosmic voids, such as the Boötes Void and the larger KBC Void, which challenge existing models of galaxy distribution and may explain the discrepancies in measurements of the universe's expansion rate, known as the Hubble tension, suggesting we might be living inside a vast, underdense region of space.

via IFLScience|

#bootes-void #hubble-tension #kbc-void

space2 years ago•2 min saved

Unraveling the Enigma of the Boötes Void: A Cosmic Abyss

The Boötes Void, also known as the Great Nothing, is a vast area of space with fewer galaxies than expected. Spanning 250 to 330 million light-years across, it is one of the largest voids known. Discovered in 1981, the void initially appeared nearly devoid of galaxies, but subsequent observations have confirmed the presence of around 60 galaxies in an area that should contain thousands. While the exact cause of the void is still unknown, one theory suggests it may have formed from the merging of smaller voids. If the Milky Way were located within the Boötes Void, we would not have discovered other galaxies until the 1960s.

via IFLScience|

#astronomers #bootes-void #dark-nebula