Astronomers say we may live at the center of a cosmic void 2 billion light-years wide that defies the laws of cosmology

[Judi Lynn]

Jessica Orwig and Ellyn Lapointe
May 15, 2024, 12:00 PM CDT



New research suggests our galaxy sits right near the center of the KBC void, an expanse of relatively empty space that's 2 billion light-years wide. Pablo Carlos Budassi / Wikimedia Commons

• Evidence suggests that our galaxy is inside a cosmic void, a vast expanse of relatively empty space.
  
  
• But according to our laws of cosmology, this void shouldn't exist.
  
  
• New research says such a void may explain unusual behavior in nearby galaxies. ]/ul]
  Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, is just one of billions in our universe. So, in the grand scheme of things, we're not so special. But zoom in to our local cosmic neighborhood, and that story begins to change.
  
  A growing list of observations suggests we live in the crosshairs of a giant cosmic void — the largest ever observed. Astronomers first suggested such a void in 2013 and evidence for its existence has been stacking up ever since.
  
  But the kicker is that this giant void shouldn't exist in the first place. If it does exist, that means something is probably amiss with our understanding of the cosmos.
  
  We may live in a void that shouldn't exist
  
  
  
  A map of our local universe. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
  
  According to a fundamental theory of cosmology named the cosmological principle, matter in the universe should be uniformly distributed on very large scales.
  
  More:
  https://www.businessinsider.com/we-live-inside-cosmic-void-breaks-cosmology-laws-2024-5

[ariadne0614]

1. My brain refuses to grapple with this information.

Nevertheless, it feels like my mind is attempting to make sense of it.

[OAITW r.2.0]

2. Me too.

My little mind stalls when contemplating the multiverse.

[GreenWave]

3. Perhaps this is related to the Great Attractor or its attractor?

[Permanut]

4. I'm wondering if intelligent beings outside of the void heard about the Trump cult .

and just moved.

[EarnestPutz]

10. A plausible explanation and one that requires the wide spread of intelligent life.

[getagrip_already]

5. Im not saying its aliens....

But it's aliens.

They blew the place to shit and left.

We were the cockroaches of their civilization.

[EarnestPutz]

12. Another plausible explanation, though I wonder if we are as tough as cockroaches.

[birdographer]

6. Hmmm...simulation...

This makes sense if we are in a simulation, which would have a limited boundary. I'm not saying I believe that, but I do enjoy reading the assorted theories about it (and they are not all nut cases, the ones who discuss this). When I read this, that's the first thing I thought of.

[IbogaProject]

7. For scale

Our Galaxy is ~150,000 light years across, for one measure of scale. It's about one billion light years in every direction from us to the edge of this 'void'.

[twodogsbarking]

8. How many football fields is it. Americans need to know this.

[Permanut]

14. About a quintillion miles, so..

at 17.6 football fields per mile, okay, put down the 7, carry the one, gimme a minute, I'll get back to ya.

[coprolite]

15. I nominate you as today's Winner of the Internet

Thanks for the laugh

[Hekate]

9. Must re-read. Very interesting.

🌙🪐✨

[LuvLoogie]

11. What if we are the root of all evil

and we've been quarantined.

Or maybe we just do not comply, a glitch in their order.

The broken rule, out of bounds, exiled for our audacity.

[Jack-o-Lantern]

13. Mind blowing. It's so overwhelming to even try to contemplate this universe.

[AllaN01Bear]

16. a rag tag fugitive fleet trying to find earth

[et tu]

17. kbc void

klingons before the common, era
no wonder we don't get many visitors!

[Joinfortmill]

18. Mind boggling