Astronomers Find a Hole in the Universe

[Gfted1]

Link

 

Aug 24, 7:45 AM (ET)

 

By SETH BORENSTEIN

 

WASHINGTON (AP) - 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 an 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."

[kirottu]

Am I the only one who got a "old battlefield of doom

[DeathScepter]

good point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

or some very large took a even larger dump to make this void.

[Arkan]

It's where the Eternal Ones lie in waiting until there is enough sentient energy for them to come and devour.

[kalimeeri]

It's the DRAIN, and we're circling it.

[Atreides]

I'll wait for some scientist to link how this helped apes get lucky.

[Sand]

How do they know there aren't any black holes there. I mean the color of black holes, the basic distinguishing color of black holes is... well black. The color of space, the basic space color is... also black.

 

So how the hell are we suppose to see them?

 

[Musopticon?]

Because there is often a concentration of light around the phenomenon since it's gathering and suffusing all matter around it?

[Sand]

But what if they already sucked it in?

[Musopticon?]

What if you didn't ask stupid questions?

[Rosbjerg]

it's a valid enough question - we are at present point unable to detect black holes unless they "interact" with nearby mass - if they have cleared their areas it'll be next to impossible to detect them .. I think the only way to know if there are any black holes would be to observe the behaviour of background stars, to see if light is beyond deflected, attracted etc.

[Sand]

However if there is no background light or matter, such as this hole represents, then there could be a dozen black holes there and we wouldn't have a clue.

[Xard]

It's not that mystical really (apart from the basic idea that nothingness exists in universe).

 

The other "patches" were mentioned in that article, but there was no explanation for them so... *shrug*

 

Helsingin yliopiston t

Edited August 25, 2007 by Xard

[Rosbjerg]

However if there is no background light or matter, such as this hole represents, then there could be a dozen black holes there and we wouldn't have a clue.

 

Send in the Marines!

[Diamond]

How do they know there aren't any black holes there. I mean the color of black holes, the basic distinguishing color of black holes is... well black. The color of space, the basic space color is... also black.

 

So how the hell are we suppose to see them?

 

Not all emitted electromagnetic waves are observable.

1. "Cosmic microwave background radiation" in Wikipedia
   
2. Image of the void
   

[Sand]

You know, you guys disappointment. I spat out a Red Dwarf line almost verbatem and no one caught it.

 

Sad. Just sad.

[Atreides]

NO U

[Sand]

NO U

Nou?

[Pidesco]

Atreides was getting all philosophical on your ass.

[Sand]

Well, I have been reading Plato of late...

[Musopticon?]

Helsingin yliopiston t

[Xard]

Hahaha

 

Thanks anyway

[Gorth]

That people can get so exited about (literally) nothing

 

Interesting idea from that Oja guy, the universe is a sheet of polystyrene. I wonder if we could take shortcuts, crossing the emptyness of the bubbles to get faster from one place to the next.

 

Yes, send in the marines

[Tale]

Link

 

Aug 24, 7:45 AM (ET)

 

By SETH BORENSTEIN

 

WASHINGTON (AP) - 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 an 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."

 

Sorry guys, my bad. I was wondering where I left that.

[Meshugger]

We all know that it is the remnants of the galaxy, that was annihilated when the foolish mortals started to think silly things such as evolution and got interested in sodomy. We're actually the 33rd experiment, and according to the divine plan we have 5 years left if we don't repent.

 

An angel told me this during delirium.