The great big nothing: scientists create map of Local Void

The Universe resembles a web: most of it is empty, while matter is collected into small clusters, with large abysses separating them. 

It’s common knowledge that galaxies are distributed unevenly across the expanse of space: they are collected into clusters with large spaces in between. These spaces are called cosmic voids, and they are constantly growing in size due to the expansion of the Universe.

In 1987, scientists discovered that the Milky Way and neighboring galaxies are located at the edge of a void. Astronomers have recently managed to build a cosmographic 3D map. Using an instrument called Cosmicflows-3, the scientists analyzed the movements of 18 thousand galaxies and mapped their positions.  

Research has proved that the movements of the Milky Way are influenced by the gravitational tug of the Virgo cluster, which contribute to further expansion of the Local Void. You can check out the map of this cosmic void in the video below.