Data from NASA’s Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) showed evidence of a huge void in the universe spanning one billion light years. Scientists say this void may be the evidence of another universe beyond our own.
NASA’s
WMAP satellite is gathering important data to know more about the origins of the universe. It measures the temperature of the radiant heat after the big bang and looks at the events that occurred in the first trillionth of a second in the universe.
Astronomers collected this WMAP data and analyzed it and
announced they found a huge void in the universe in the Constellation of Eridanus, one billion light years across.
The size of the hole is equivalent to 10,000 times the size of our galaxy or 400 times the distance to Andromeda, the nearest galaxy to Milky Way galaxy. This void has far fewer materials such as stars, nebulae, dust and other material compared to other parts of the universe.
The dimension of the hole is so big, astronomers say there are no current cosmological theories to explain this strange phenomenon in the universe. Some scientists are speculating with theoretical models
"that might predict the existence of “giant knots” in space known as topological defects."
However, in a bold statement, another scientist said the void signifies there is a parallel universe beyond ours with galaxies and solar systems. Laura Mersini-Houghton, a physics professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told the media it is
“… the unmistakable imprint of another universe beyond the edge of our own“.
The idea of an alternative, or parallel universe has been around in Sci-Fi literature and movies, but there has been no physical proof. If Mersini-Houghton’s claim is right, Erdanus’ giant hole would be the first experimental evidence of the presence of another universe.
As paternitytestinglabs.com reports:
The implications of this possibility are obviously of huge importance for everybody, but it also has further relevance for the astrophysics community as it would bring support for the hotly debated string theory and other central debates.
As more data is being gathered from WMAP, astronomers can see whether Mersini-Houghton and colleagues’ theory of entangled universes is real or not. Her model also predicts the existence of two voids -- one in the northern hemisphere that was found by WMAP, and she claims there must be another void in the southern hemisphere.
If Mersini-Houghton’s theory is correct, then there may be more than one universe. I hope this announcement will make scientists join forces to find out more info.
