New cosmic map reveals colossal structures

April 6, 2009 | Source: New Scientist Space

Enormous cosmic voids (regions of space that are relatively empty), including one that is about 3.5 billion light years across, and giant concentrations of matter have been observed by Anglo-Australian Observatory astronomers in the new Six Degree Field Galaxy Survey, covering 41% of the southern hemisphere sky.

The newly found void is so large that it is difficult to fit into our present understanding of the universe on the largest scales.