Cosmic spaces

The universe is full of dark energy. Illustration: Avi Blizovsky via DALEE

The cosmic spaces are not empty, they are filled with dark energy.

Even the most sparse regions of the universe are not "nothing." According to quantum field theory, they are filled with vacuum energy, and it is there that the expansion of the universe accelerates.
The spiral galaxy Andromeda. Almost a duplicate of the Milky Way. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Why nearby galaxies are running away from us: Scientists have finally solved a fifty-year-old mystery

An international team has built a “virtual twin” of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxy environment and found that a flattened mass distribution, with large voids above and below, balances gravity and resolves a mystery that has been debated since the days of Edwin Hubble.