All articles tagged with #bootes 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.
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.