A map of galaxy voids

This is a list of voids in astronomy. Voids are particularly galaxy-poor regions of space between filaments, making up the large-scale structure of the universe. Some voids are known as supervoids.

In the tables, z is the cosmological redshift, c the speed of light, and h the dimensionless Hubble parameter, which has a value of approximately 0.7 (the Hubble constant H0 = h × 100 km s−1 Mpc−1). Mpc stands for megaparsec.

The co-ordinates (right ascension and declination) and distance given refer to the approximate center of the region.

Voids and supervoids

Largest voids

Named voids

NameCoordinatesDistanceDiameterDataNotes
Local Void18h 38m +18°cz=2500 km/s60 Mpc
Northern Local Supervoid61 Mpc104 MpcVirgo Supercluster, Coma Supercluster, Perseus–Pisces Supercluster, Ursa Major–Lynx Supercluster, Hydra–Centaurus Supercluster, Sculptor Supercluster, Pavo–Corona Australes Supercluster form a sheet between the Northern Local Supervoid and the Southern Local Supervoid. The Hercules Supercluster separates the Northern Local Void from the Boötes Void. The Perseus–Pisces Supercluster and Pegasus Supercluster form a sheet separating the Northern Local Void and Southern Local Void from the Pegasus Void.
Southern Local Supervoid96 Mpc112 Mpc
Giant Void13h 01m +38.7°z=0.116300–400 Mpc"Giant Void in NGH" or "AR-Lp 36"; NGH stands for "Northern Galactic Hemisphere"; discovered in 1988. It is the largest void in the NGH where z<0.14.
KBC Void600 MpcVoid containing the Milky Way and Local Group

Voids designated by their constellation

NameCoordinatesDistanceDiameterDataNotes
Boötes Void (Great Void)14h 20m 26°150 Mpc100 MpcThe Hercules Supercluster separates the Northern Local Void from the Boötes Void. The Hercules Supercluster thus forms part of the near edge of the Boötes Void.
Canis Major Void
Columba Void
Coma VoidDiscovered in 1975, along with the Coma Supercluster, it lies in front of the Coma Cluster. It was the first void to be discovered and is approximately 1/3 as far away as the much larger Boötes Void.
Corona Borealis Void
Eridanus VoidThis void is separated from the Sculptor void by a sheet of galaxies.
Eridanus Supervoid (Great Void)03h 15m 05s −19° 35′ 02″z=1150 MpcThe claimed Eridanus Supervoid or "Great Void", reported on 24 August 2007 by the NRAO from Very Large Array Sky Survey data. This void, if real, would be much larger than the others listed here (except the Giant Void), about 300 h−1 Mpc in diameter and 1800–3000 h−1 Mpc distant (where h is the dimensionless Hubble parameter). It would be associated with (and be the explanation of) a cold spot in the cosmic microwave background at the sky location. The evidence for such a "Great Void" is disputed by Smith and Huterer. They showed that the claims made of observational evidence for such a void from survey data neglected systematic effects and did not account for a posteriori choices made in analyzing data.
Southern Eridanus VoidThe Southern Eridanus void is connected to the Eridanus void by a hole in the distribution of galaxies separating the two. A hole in the distribution of galaxies separating Sculptor and Southern Eridanus voids the size of (redshift) 1250 km/s appears to exist.
Fornax Void
Hercules Void15.5h +30°cz=7000 km/sDiscovered in 1979
Hydra VoidThe Hydra Void lies beyond the Hydra–Centaurus Supercluster
Leo Void11h 30m 0°cz=4000 km/s
Microscopium VoidA hole in the distribution of galaxies separating Sculptor and Microscopium voids the size of (redshift) 1250 km/s appears to exist. This is roughly 1/2 of Microscopium's diameter.
Ophiuchus Voidnear 17h −25°< 5000 km/s (the outer limit)25% of average universe density is the void density of matter. The far end of this void is defined by the Ophiuchus Supercluster.
Pegasus Void22h +15°cz=5500 km/s40 MpcThe Perseus–Pisces Supercluster and Pegasus Supercluster form a sheet separate the Northern Local Void and Southern Local Void from the Pegasus Void.
Perseus–Pisces Void1h +10°cz=8000 km/sDiscovered in 1980, it is also called the Perseus Void
Sagittarius Void
Sculptor Void23h 48m −24° 39′34.8 Mpc/hCorresponds to SRSS1 Void 3 and SRSS2 Void 5 This void is separated from the Eridanus Void by a sheet of galaxies. A hole in the distribution of galaxies separating Sculptor and Southern Eridanus Voids the size of 1250 km/s appears to exist. The Sculptor Void lies next to the Southern Wall or Southern Great Wall.
Taurus Void30 MpcThe Taurus Void appears large and circular, and has walls of galaxies surrounding it. It lies next to the Perseus–Pisces Supercluster, and is the most visually identifiable. Several galaxies have been found to reside in the void, such as UGC 2627 and UGC 2629, both approximately 185 million light years away.

Other voids

DesignationLocationCoordinatesDistanceDiameterDimensionsNotes
Bahcall & Soneira 1982 voidz = 0.03 – 0.08150 h−1 Mpc deep 300 h−1 Mpc wide 60 h−1 Mpc tallThis suspected void ranged 100 degrees across the sky, and has shown up on other surveys as several separate voids.

Voids by search or survey

Tully list

In 1985, Tully determined a local dominant supercluster plane, and found the Pisces–Cetus Supercluster Complex.

#CoordinatesDistanceDiameterNotes
(h−1 Mpc)
117.0h 80°90140
221.0h −7°100136
38.6h +13°150150
421.5h +5°170173
514.3h +52°180158Boötes Void
623.0h −16°190171
712.8h +14°190174
810.0h +35°250170
92.6h −11°280229
108.7h +58°310243
1116.8h +5°310270

B&B Abell-derived list

In a 1985 study of Abell clusters, 29 voids were determined, in the sphere z<0.1 around Earth.

#CoordinatesDistanceDiameterNotes
(h−1 Mpc)
10.0h +20°293100
20.3h 0°276100
30.7h +10°284100
42.0h −13°275150
58.0h +60°300100
69.0h +18°220100
79.0h +67°180120
89.2h +26°137140
99.5h +45°262200
109.8h 0°285110
119.8h +35°219110
1210.8h −10°293120
1312.0h +14°206110
1412.3h 0°276100
1512.4h −12°272150
1612.5h +32°237100
1712.9h +64°105110
1813.6h +35°154200Boötes Void
1913.8h +20°297110
2014.2h −4°265210
2114.7h +70°283160
2215.2h +42°286140
2316.0h +7°295110
2416.4h +41°291130
2516.5h +59°110100
2617.2h +58°237100
2722.2h −2°155130
2822.5h 5°284160
2923.5h −7°203120

SSRS1 list

A redshift survey of galaxies in the southern sky in 1988, out to a distance of 120 Mpc/h, revealed some voids.

#CoordinatesDistance (V)Dimensions W × H × D (h−1 Mpc)ConstellationNotes
11.5h −50°3000 km/s30 × 30 × 40Phoenix/EridanusLocated just behind the galaxy concentration in Eridanus-Fornax-Dorado
221h −25°5000 km/s30 × 30 × 30Capricornus/Microscopium
323.5h −35°6000 km/s70 × 30 × 50Sculptor/Grus
44h −40°9000 km/s50 × 100 × 50Horologium/Eridanus

SSRS2 list

In 1994, a redshift survey in the southern sky identified 18 voids, 11 of which are major voids.

#CoordinatesDistance (r)Diameter (h−1 Mpc)ConstellationNotes
11h 33m −16° 45′85.754.3Cetusmajor void
23h 34m −28° 50′99.756.2Fornaxmajor void SRSS1 Void 4
322h 25m −14° 46′107.260.8Aquariusmajor void
421h 43m −14° 40′66.735.6Capricornusmajor void
523h 48m −24° 39′53.034.8Aquarius/Sculptormajor void SRSS1 Void 3 (Sculptor Void)
63h 56m −20° 11′56.532.0Eridanusmajor void
73h 17m −11° 40′77.225.5Eridanusmajor void
823h 20m −12° 32′83.927.8Aquariusmajor void
93h 06m −13° 47′114.639.0Eridanusmajor void
100h 26m −9° 17′104.734.8Cetusmajor void
110h 21m −29° 43′112.842.9Sculptormajor void
1223h 03m −32° 35′74.825.0Piscis Austrinus/Sculptor
131h 23m −19° 36′31.022.1CetusSRSS1 Void 1
1421h 28m −29° 28′87.221.3Piscis Austrinus/Microscopium
1521h 24m −33° 17′116.127.3Microscopium
1621h 43m −18° 41′36.520.3Capricornus
173h 42m −21° 21′32.119.0Eridanus
184h 18m −8° 42′85.921.1Eridanus

1994 EEDTA Whole Sky Survey

A 1994 census lists a total of 27 supervoids within a cube of 740 Mpc a side, centered on us (z=0.1 distant sphere).

#Coordinates (B1950.0)Distance (Mpc/h)Diameter (Mpc/h)Notes
119.0° −57.1°13488
228.2° −12.3°20796
334.8° −61.9°21672
436.6° −33.5°24186
537.8° −36.1°12992
646.0° −21.4°23672
762.0° −8.0°248100
871.2° −38.3°20176
9121.7° −1.5°96112Southern Local Supervoid
10130.0° +49.3°246144
11140.4° +10.5°16092
12146.9° +27.4°227106
13153.1° −11.4°24694
14159.9° +1.2°16768
15161.6° −32.2°24198
16167.4° +22.8°22274
17186.9° −15.6°21694
18196.8° +9.5°119102
19204.8° +35.7°119108
20214.6° +13.6°21678Boötes Void (Great Void)
21216.7° +56.5°143116
22219.8° +57.9°24696
23220.2° +33.9°21972
24256.1° −4.8°61104Northern Local Supervoid
25353.0° −59.4°19874
26356.6° +22.2°24680
27358.9° −33.1°24170

Galactic Anti-Center IRAS search

In a 1995 study of IRAS data looking for large-scale structure in the Galactic Anticenter in the Zone of Avoidance, four voids were discovered.

#Coordinates (B1950.0)Distance (km/s)DimensionsNotes
V05.2h +18°100096°×36°×2000 km/s
V13.5h +18°375015°×36°×3500 km/sV1 and V2 are connected, and block the Perseus–Pisces Supercluster from traversing the Zone of Avoidance.
V23.5h +29°800025°×14°×2000 km/sV1 and V2 are connected, and block the Perseus–Pisces Supercluster from traversing the Zone of Avoidance.
V38.0h +10°700030°×20°×2000 km/sThis void lies in front of the CfA2 Great Wall.

IRAS list

Analysis of the IRAS redshift survey in 1997 revealed 24 voids, 12 of which were termed "significant"

#Supergalactic Coordinates (r,X,Y,Z)Diameter (h−1 Mpc)DataNotes
1(55.2,−10.4,−53.8,6.1)51.0significant void
2(49.6,−25.3,31.4,−28.9)43.8significant void
3(46.0,−24.8,26.7,28.1)44.5significant void
4(46.5,8.7,24.7,38.4)45.0significant void (Local Void)
5(32.0,−13.0,−23.9,−16.9)36.0significant void
6(51.5,17.0,−32.2,36.4)41.4significant void
7(57.1,31.2,44.9,16.5)43.5significant void
8(60.4,−25.8,−22.7,−49.7)39.5significant void
9(49.8,35.9,−25.6,−23.0)36.0significant void
10(63.3,−48.0,−40.9,6.0)33.6significant void (Sculptor Void)
11(48.6,11.8,46.6,−6.9)32.0significant void
12(49.9,−15.6,−35.7,31.3)31.5significant void
13(62.8,14.2,29.3,−53.7)40.3
14(19.0,0.7,−16.4,9.6)28.8
15(37.6,32.4,−17.0,8.6)30.4Perseus–Pisces Void

See also

Notes