Local Void

Space has a very big empty spot.

It is called the Local Void. Most stars and galaxies are not there. This makes the spot look empty.

It is a huge area. It is even bigger than our own home galaxy. Some small galaxies live inside it. One small galaxy is in the Pisces group.

This void is growing. It pushes things away from its center. Our own galaxy is moving away too. It is a very big part of space.

Space has a very big, empty spot.

It is called the Local Void. Two scientists found it in 1987. It is a vast area with very few galaxies. It is at least 150 million light-years across. Some think it may be even larger.

Most galaxies clump together in groups. They use gravity to pull closer. This leaves large gaps between them. The Local Void is one of these gaps. It sits next to our Local Group of galaxies.

Our Milky Way galaxy lives near its edge. We live in a flat layer of galaxies. This layer is called the Local Sheet. It acts like a wall for the void.

The void seems to be growing. It pushes matter away from its center. This happens because matter pulls together elsewhere. This makes the empty space even bigger. The Local Sheet is rushing away from the center. Even our Milky Way is moving away.

Some small galaxies still live inside the void. For example, Pisces A is 18.4 million light-years away.

Space is not always filled with bright stars and galaxies. Sometimes, there are huge, empty regions called voids. The Local Void is one such vast, empty area. It sits right next to our own Local Group of galaxies.

This region has much fewer galaxies than scientists expected to find. It is at least 150 million light-years across. Some experts believe it might be even larger. It could reach 300 million light-years in size.

Gravity helps shape the way the universe looks. It causes matter to clump together into groups. This creates chains and clusters of galaxies. These clumps leave large, empty gaps between them. The Local Void is one of these large gaps.

It is made of three separate sectors. These sectors are held apart by thin, wispy filaments. The Milky Way sits in a flat layer called the Local Sheet. This sheet acts like a boundary for the void.

Scientists first discovered this empty space in 1987. Brent Tully and Rick Fisher were the two researchers.

They found that the area was quite empty. Later, astronomers looked at a small galaxy named ESO 461-36. This dwarf galaxy is located inside the void. Its movement helped scientists calculate the size of the void. They noticed the galaxy was fleeing the void quite quickly. Some think dark energy might cause this fast movement.

There are still some galaxies living inside the void. One example is Pisces A in the Pisces constellation.

It is about 18.4 million light-years away from us. Another is Pisces B, located 30 million light-years away. About 100 million years ago, these galaxies moved toward denser areas. This move caused their rate of star formation to double. NGC 6789 is also nearby in the Draco constellation. It is the closest blue compact dwarf galaxy to us.

The Local Void is not staying the same size. Scientists believe that the void is actually growing. This happens because matter pulls together in other places. As matter clumps elsewhere, the empty space gets bigger. The Local Sheet is rushing away from the center. The Milky Way is also moving away from the void.

Our galaxy moves at a speed of 250 kilometers per second. This shows how much the void affects its neighbors.

The Local Void is a massive, relatively empty region of space. It sits right next to our own Local Group of galaxies. This region is significant because it contains far fewer galaxies than standard cosmology would predict. Astronomers have noted that the local universe is less dense than surrounding areas. This density is about 15% to 50% lower than what we see elsewhere. Some researchers call this region the Local Void or the Local Hole.

Gravity plays a major role in how the universe is structured. Gravity causes matter to clump together into clusters and long chains. These clumps of matter leave behind large gaps that are mostly empty. The Local Void is one of these enormous gaps. It is not one single open space. Instead, it is composed of three separate sectors. These sectors are separated from each other by thin, wispy filaments of matter.

We do not know the exact size of the Local Void. However, we know it is at least 45 megaparsecs across. A megaparsec is a unit used to measure vast distances in space. Some estimates suggest it could be much larger. It may reach 150 to 300 megaparsecs in width. The Milky Way sits in a flat array of galaxies called the Local Sheet. This sheet acts as a boundary for the void. The void begins at the very edge of the Local Group.

In 1987, astronomers Brent Tully and Rick Fisher discovered the Local Void. Since then, scientists have used different methods to study its properties. One method involved observing an isolated dwarf galaxy named ESO 461-36. This galaxy is located inside the void. Because the void is so empty, its gravity is very weak. This weak gravity should allow the dwarf galaxy to flee the void quickly. Scientists have observed this fast movement toward concentrations of matter. Some researchers suggest that dark energy might also explain this speedy expulsion.

Earlier models tried to explain our local surroundings differently. One model was called the Hubble Bubble. It was based on the measured velocities of Type 1a supernovae. This model proposed a void centered specifically on the Milky Way. However, recent analysis of that data changed our understanding. Scientists found that interstellar dust had caused misleading measurements. This shows how difficult it is to map the deep universe.

Even in this empty space, some galaxies exist. The Pisces A and Pisces B galaxies are two dwarf galaxies found there. Pisces A is 5.64 megaparsecs away in the Pisces constellation. Pisces B is 9.2 megaparsecs away. About 100 million years ago, these galaxies began moving out of the void. They moved toward a denser gaseous environment in the local filament zone. This change in environment caused their rate of star formation to double.

Other interesting galaxies reside near or within the void boundaries. NGC 7077 is a blue compact dwarf galaxy in the Aquarius constellation. It was discovered by Albert Marth in 1863. NGC 6503 is a colorful dwarf spiral galaxy in the Draco constellation. It is about 17 million light-years away. It features bright red gas regions and bright blue star-forming regions. NGC 6789 is another irregular galaxy in Draco. It was discovered by Lewis Swift in 1883. It is the closest blue compact dwarf galaxy to the Milky Way.

The Local Void is not a static place. Scientists believe the void is actually growing. This happens because matter pulls together into clumps in other areas. As matter moves into these clumps, the empty spaces expand. The Local Sheet is currently rushing away from the center of the void. This movement happens at a speed of 220 kilometers per second. The Milky Way is also being affected by this process. Our galaxy moves away from the Local Void at 250 kilometers per second.