The large-scale structure of the Universe is dominated by vast voids with
galaxies clustered in knots, sheets, and filaments, forming a great “cosmic web.”
In this personal account of the major astronomical developments leading to
these discoveries, we learn from Laird A. Thompson, a key protagonist, how the
first 3D maps of galaxies were created. Using nonmathematical language, he
introduces the standard model of cosmology before explaining how and why
ideas about cosmic voids evolved, referencing the original maps, reproduced
here. His account tells of the competing teams of observers racing to publish
their results, the theorists trying to build or update their models to explain
them, and the subsequent large-scale survey efforts that continue to the
present day. This is a well-documented account of the birth of a major pillar of
modern cosmology and a useful case study of the trials surrounding how this
scientific discovery became accepted.
Laird A. Thompson is Professor Emeritus of the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign. He has held appointments at the Kitt Peak National
Observatory, at the University of Hawaii, and at the University of Nebraska, and
is a member of the American Astronomical Society and the International
Astronomical Union.