Circumferential hyperspace barrier

This article is about a barrier that surrounds the galaxy. You may be looking for the western barrier that divides the Unknown Regions from much of the galaxy.

"I believe they engineered the hyperspace barrier that surrounds our galaxy, either to protect themselves against invasion or to prevent the return of beings they had exiled from this galaxy. Perhaps both."

―Dr. Insmot Bowen on his belief that the Celestials created the hyperspace barrier^[1]

MainGalaxy — The galaxy was surrounded by a circumferential hyperspace barrier.

The circumferential hyperspace barrier,^[1] also known as the galactic barrier, was a chain of hyperspace anomalies on the edge of the galaxy, preventing hyperspace travel outside of it.

Description[]

"Imagine that our galaxy is a child’s top, and what we call the circumferential barrier is a collection of countless whorls and eddies spinning around it too quickly to safely traverse at faster-than-light speeds. I believe the Celestials spun up that barrier by tapping the energies of the galactic center. The western barrier, essentially, is what’s left of the string."

―Dr. Insmot Bowen^[1]

The circumferential hyperspace barrier was a chain of hyperspace anomalies that completely surrounded the galaxy, and speculated to span above and below the galactic disk as well. Lightspeed travel through it was considered impossible; Doctor Insmot Bowen of the Obroan Institute for Archaeology — who nicknamed the barrier the bubble — compared the galaxy to a child's top spun with a string, and the barrier in turn being a collection of countless whorls and eddies spinning around it too fast to safely navigate. He believed that the barrier had been spun up via the Celestials tapping into energy from Galactic Center and using the western barrier — a second chain of hyperspace anomalies that almost perfectly bisected the galaxy — as the "string".^[1]

The circumferential barrier was not completely impassable however, as a gap called Vector Prime existed in the Outer Rim Territories, close to outer edges of the Dalonbian sector, near the Helska system.^[2] It was also possible to "smooth" the barrier using the Force and enable passage through it, as proven by Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth with the western barrier.^[3]

History[]

"I think the western anomalies are a remnant of the construction of the circumferential hyperspace barrier—or the bubble, as I like to call it, since evidence indicates it extends above and below the galactic disk as well."

―Dr. Insmot Bowen^[1]

The circumferential barrier was long thought to have been created prior to 30,000 BBY by the Celestials, though for what exact reason was unknown. Speculation ranged between protecting themselves from invaders to preventing exiled beings from returning to the galaxy. Some theories, among others, claimed that the Celestials' disappearance possibly involved them escaping through the barrier during the Rakatan revolt, or becoming trapped by it, leading to their destruction.^[1]

FateOutboundFlight-TEA — The Outbound Flight Project's intended path

In 27 BBY an expedition known as the Outbound Flight Project was launched, seeking to penetrate the galactic barrier using the Force and look for extra-galactic life.^[3] It was ultimately unsuccessful, however, as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious ordered its destruction, seeing it as a good opportunity to kill Jedi, as several were onboard in order to take part in piercing the barrier,^[4] and to prevent them from coming in contact with the extra-galactic Yuuzhan Vong.^[5]

In 1 BBY, the barrier was a topic of conversation during a briefing between Dr. Insmot Bowen, Imperial Admiral Conan Antonio Motti, General Arhul Kurumenga, and Master of Imperial Projects Bevel Lemelisk.^[1]

In 25 ABY, the Yuuzhan Vong crossed through the barrier via Vector Prime, in order to begin their conquest of the galaxy.^[2]

Behind the scenes[]

"Hence the barrier, which isn't a giant glass sphere that you'll crash your ship into but rather a hyperspace disturbance that prevents faster-than-light travel. (My thought is that each galaxy creates gravitic "ripples" in hyperspace, and the barrier is formed when the ripples overlap each other at the midpoint and create a zone of hyperspace turbulence.)"

―Daniel Wallace^[6]

Author Daniel Wallace believes the hyperspace barrier is the result of gravitic "ripples" that emanate from galaxies, overlapping at the midpoint.^[6]