Bootes void
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The Bootes void is a tremendously large, nearly-empty region of space, devoid of galaxies. It is one of the largest known voids, and is referred to as a supervoid. It was discovered in 1981, and is nearly 250 million light-years across. It is located in the area of the constellation Boötes, for which it is named.
To give an idea of its scale, "If the Milky Way had been in the center of the Bootes void, we wouldn't have known there were other galaxies until the 1960s." (Greg Aldering, University of Minnesota).
Theories
It has been theorized that the Bootes void was formed from the merger of smaller voids, much as soap bubbles coalesce to form larger bubbles. This theory would account for the small number of galaxies that exist in a rough tube shape through the middle of the void.It has also been theorized that the Bootes void isn't empty, and is instead filled with dark matter.
In fiction
- The Bootes void is mentioned in the serial novel Accelerando by Charles Stross.
- The Bootes void is mentioned in Martin Amis' Night Train. Its immense size leads Jennifer Rockwell to conclude there is no meaning to life and so she kills herself.
See also
External links
References
- Kirshner, R. P., Oemler, A., Schechter, P. L. & Shectman, S. A. A million cubic megaparsec void in Bootes. Astrophysics Journal 248, L57-L60 (1981)
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