What's the Emptiest Place in Space?
Cosmic voids are vast, low-density regions that make up the majority of the universe's volume, with the Boötes Void being one of the most notable examples. These regions help astronomers understand the structure and evolution of the cosmic web.
Why it matters
Studying cosmic voids is essential for cosmologists to map the universe's formation and the distribution of dark matter.
What's the Emptiest Place in Space? Cosmic voids are vast underdense regions that occupy much of the universe's volume (about 80% of the observable universe's volume), and astronomers have cataloged over 8,000 of them, with current and upcoming surveys expected to identify many more.
The universe is organized into a giant cosmic web, with galaxies and galaxy clusters forming long, interconnected strands known as galaxy filaments. Over billions of years, gravity pulled matter into these dense threads, leaving enormous low-density spaces between them.
Those gaps are cosmic voids: the emptiest known regions of space, and some of the most useful places for understanding how the universe formed, expanded, and continues to change.
Cosmic void. Between these strands are huge, dark, seemingly empty spaces that scientists refer to as cosmic voids. These enormous stretches of darkness sit between the "webs" of galaxies that make up the universe.
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