Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Mysterious 'supervoid' in space is largest object ever discovered, scientists claim
www.telegraph.co.u ^ | 7:09PM BST 20 Apr 2015 | By Sarah Knapton, Science Editor

Posted on 04/20/2015 1:25:31 PM PDT by Red Badger

A supervoid has been discovered in the universe which is too big to fit into current models

Astronomers have discovered a curious empty section of space which is missing around 10,000 galaxies.

The ‘supervoid’, which is 1.8 billion light-years across, is the largest known structure ever discovered in the universe but scientists are baffled about what it is and why it is so barren.

It sits in a region of space which is much colder than other parts of the universe and although it is not a vacuum, it seems to have around 20 per cent less matter than other regions.

Although the Big Bang theory allows for areas that are cooler and hotter, the size of the void does not fit with predicted models. Simply put, it is too big to exist.

István Szapudi, of University of Hawaii at Manoa, described the object as possibly “the largest individual structure ever identified by humanity”.

It was picked up using Hawaii’s Pan-STARRS1 (PS1) telescope located on Haleakala, Maui, and Nasa’s Wide Field Survey Explorer (WISE) satellite.

The latest study suggests that the ‘supervoid’ may be draining energy from light travelling through, which is why the area around it is so cold.

Getting through such a big hole takes hundreds of millions of years, even at the speed of light, and photons of light slow down as they cross because the universe – and therefore the void - is continually expanding.

However the scientists claim that the void can only account for around 10 per cent the temperature drop in the cold spot.

“It just pushed the explanation one layer deeper,” said Dr Roberto Trotta, a cosmologist at Imperial College London.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Education; Outdoors; Science
KEYWORDS: astronomy; blackhole; space; stringtheory; supervoid; xplanets
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-93 last
To: Red Badger

It’s the spot where two branes collided


81 posted on 04/20/2015 4:28:14 PM PDT by mjp ((pro-{God, reality, reason, egoism, individualism, natural rights, limited government, capitalism}))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

It’s the “largest object” that doesn’t exist.


82 posted on 04/20/2015 4:49:59 PM PDT by 9thLife ("Life is a military endeavor..." -- Pope Francis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: july4thfreedomfoundation

His hole is not empty. /s


83 posted on 04/20/2015 5:49:04 PM PDT by VTenigma (The Democratic party is the party of the mathematically challenged)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: rjsimmon
"...is the largest known structure ever discovered in the universe... Structure implies 'built'. "

I thought the EXACT same thing when I first read this today. On the "up" side maybe it's a distant view of Heaven. On the "down" side maybe it's where all liberals get their viewpoints and "mind" set.

84 posted on 04/20/2015 7:06:02 PM PDT by ExSoldier ("Terrorists: They hate you yesterday, today, and tomorrow. End it, no more tomorrows for them!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: RightGeek

Wow I didn’t know manatees wore blue dresses.


85 posted on 04/20/2015 7:44:34 PM PDT by GrandJediMasterYoda (B. Hussein Obama: 17 acts of Treason and counting.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: epluribus_2
LOL!


86 posted on 04/20/2015 7:46:26 PM PDT by GrandJediMasterYoda (B. Hussein Obama: 17 acts of Treason and counting.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: KevinDavis; annie laurie; Knitting A Conundrum; Viking2002; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Mmogamer; ...
Thanks Red Badger for the two-lister topic, and thanks colorado tanker for the additional ping. I was a little slow getting around to actually pinging the lists.
 
X-Planets
· join · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post new topic · subscribe ·
Google news searches: exoplanet · exosolar · extrasolar ·

87 posted on 04/21/2015 5:42:42 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Red Badger; colorado tanker; 6SJ7; AdmSmith; AFPhys; Arkinsaw; allmost; aristotleman; ...
Thanks Red Badger for the two-lister topic, and thanks colorado tanker for the additional ping. I was a little slow getting around to actually pinging the lists.

· String Theory Ping List ·
721 posted on 04/24/2007 8:14:42 PM PDT by DocRock
· Join · Bookmark · Topics · Google ·
· View or Post in 'blog · post a topic · subscribe ·


88 posted on 04/21/2015 5:42:49 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

It’s NOT a vacuum?


89 posted on 04/21/2015 6:15:05 AM PDT by hattend (Firearms and ammunition...the only growing industries under the Obama regime.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hattend

There’s stuff there, there just isn’t enough stuff..............


90 posted on 04/21/2015 6:23:51 AM PDT by Red Badger (Man builds a ship in a bottle. God builds a universe in the palm of His hand.............)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 89 | View Replies]

To: null and void

Ping to you for the void.


91 posted on 04/21/2015 7:49:10 AM PDT by Redcitizen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: I want the USA back

Or reevaluated.

I wonder if it’s an area swept relatively clean by earlier generations of supernovae, and remains that way as there is so little gravitationally left therein.

Very curious indeed.


92 posted on 04/21/2015 8:05:29 AM PDT by onedoug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: RightGeek
Woah! You just put me off my dinner.
93 posted on 04/23/2015 12:49:40 PM PDT by Desron13
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-93 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson