In a discovery that promises to revolutionize astronomy, scientists have made the first direct observations of gravitational waves, bizarre ripples in space-time foreseen by Albert Einstein a century ago. The find is a triumph for Einstein's celebrated general theory of relativity, the basis of his 1916 prediction that the fabric of the universe is perturbed by gravitational energy. The find is also a triumph for the mammoth scientific apparatus - the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory - that was the first to pick up the stealthy advent of these waves, in this case created by the union of two black holes 1.3 billion years ago. Ref. USAToday.
LIGO detects gravitational waves for third time. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory has made a third detection of gravitational waves, ripples in space and time, demonstrating that a new window in astronomy has been firmly opened. As was the case with the first two detections, the waves were generated when two black holes collided to form a larger black hole. Source 4w.
Background hum of space could reveal hidden black holes. Deep space is not as silent as we have been led to believe. Every few minutes a pair of black holes smash into each other. These cataclysms release ripples in the fabric of spacetime known as gravitational waves. Now scientists have developed a way to listen in on these events. The new technique is expected to reveal the presence of thousands of previously hidden black holes. Source 2v.