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Astronomers Find Huge Hole in Universe

By SETH BORENSTEIN,
AP
Posted: 2007-08-25 23:05:48
Filed Under: Science News
(Aug. 24) - Astronomers have stumbled upon a tremendous hole in the universe. That's got them scratching their heads about what's just not there. The cosmic blank spot has no stray stars, no galaxies, no sucking black holes, not even mysterious dark matter. It is 1 billion light years across of nothing. That's a giant expanse of nearly 6 billion trillion miles of emptiness, a University of Minnesota team announced Thursday.

Astronomers have known for many years that there are patches in the universe where nobody's home. In fact, one such place is practically a neighbor, a mere 2 million light years away. But what the Minnesota team discovered, using two different types of astronomical observations, is a void that's far bigger than scientists ever imagined.

"This is 1,000 times the volume of what we sort of expected to see in terms of a typical void," said Minnesota astronomy professor Lawrence Rudnick, author of the paper that will be published in Astrophysical Journal. "It's not clear that we have the right word yet ... This is too much of a surprise."

Rudnick was examining a sky survey from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, which essentially takes radio pictures of a broad expanse of the universe. But one area of the universe had radio pictures indicating there was up to 45 percent less matter in that region, Rudnick said.

The rest of the matter in the radio pictures can be explained as stars and other cosmic structures between here and the void, which is about 5 to 10 billion light years away.

Rudnick then checked observations of cosmic microwave background radiation and found a cold spot. The only explanation, Rudnick said, is it's empty of matter.

It could also be a statistical freak of nature, but that's probably less likely than a giant void, said James Condon, an astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. He wasn't part of Rudnick's team but is following up on the research.

"It looks like something to be taken seriously," said Brent Tully, a University of Hawaii astronomer who wasn't part of this research but studies the void closer to Earth.

Tully said astronomers may eventually find a few cosmic structures in the void, but it would still be nearly empty.

Holes in the universe probably occur when the gravity from areas with bigger mass pull matter from less dense areas, Tully said. After 13 billion years "they are losing out in the battle to where there are larger concentrations of matter," he said.

Retired NASA astronomer Steve Maran said of the discovery: "This is incredibly important for something where there is nothing to it."

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2007-08-25 16:30:25
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11523 comments

scotfree45 07:10:50 PM Apr 10 2009

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being as how anything when it explodes spreads outward from its center it is probably the point of origin of the big bang.

Jmordaen 08:24:30 PM Sep 22 2007

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molovesgod--
your expression of faith is really impressive. There are those of us who will always have doubting minds (like myself) but I do admire your faith

myejam 08:03:33 PM Sep 22 2007

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its all the same

firestar8332 04:29:40 PM Sep 20 2007

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...I've been into the universe for years, And trust me, I was reading about galaxies when I was 6, but seriously, though something supernatural IS going on here, where did a discussion about space oddities turn into a discussion about religion?

trustyebayer 05:04:59 PM Sep 16 2007

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the more i read all these comments, the more i realize how many nut-jobs there are out there.

nuevepaul 10:09:25 PM Sep 10 2007

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well, its seems there are a wealth of people on line tonight that know the mind of god, geez

molovesgod 08:23:00 AM Sep 03 2007

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It is so sad when I look at different sites like these where people are still unable to see the truth. How could something so marvolous come from nothing? We have to start from somewhere and if not from God, then were? If you don't believe just look out your window. Plant a tree upside down and see which way it grows. Even the earth praises God. You are so blessed to live, you should start living life to its fullest. And to the response fo the sicknesses, do you think that a God that created you with absolute love would want to bring sickness to you? He only wants what is best, we have a brought sickness through sin to this earth. And still He forgives and heals us. I praise you God and feel so unworthy to meet you one day!!!

duhernal 05:27:28 PM Sep 01 2007

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Too bad 4 You of little faith

rhnda20 01:03:15 PM Sep 01 2007

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you poor short sighted people believing that your hopeful visions of an afterlife are the only truth.on the clock of existence you "god" has only been around a few milliseconds and wil pass within a few more.our increasing intelligence and reasoning allows us to fantisize that we are more than we can actually be.just like a lottery somewhere in the universe we had to happen.but as the winners we have lost touch with reality and give credit to nonexistent beings to cope with questions we dont know all the answers to yet.

simransaxena 11:48:45 AM Sep 01 2007

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Hmm, intelligent design... eyes that go blind, bones that break, organs that become cancerous, birth defects, etc., etc., etc. If that's intelligent design, that this god sure has a weird sense of humour.

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