What are gravitational waves and how are they detected? Learn more about these ripples in spacetime
. As more sightings build up, astronomers will be able to see patterns in the numbers and masses of known black holes, which helps inform theories of how they form and change over time.
But we stand to learn even more from events that emit both gravitational waves and light. On August 17, 2017,, when signals reached Earth from two merging neutron stars—ultra-dense leftovers from dead stars—that spiraled around each other and collided. The union not only released gravitational waves, it also triggered a visible explosion called a kilonova.
White dwarf stars that orbit each other, as in this artist's depiction, provide a realiable source of gravitational waves for scientists to study.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The new object that formed—most likely a black hole—fired a jet of high-speed particles through the surrounding haze, creating an afterglow that was visible for days to weeks afterward. This single event provided powerful evidence that colliding neutron stars probably make much of the universe's heavy elements, such as gold and silver. Like electronics and jewelry? Thank neutron stars.
Physicists were also able to use the detection to test Einstein's theory of relativity as never before. Relativity predicts that light and gravitational waves from the same event should travel through space the same way. Other theories of gravity, however, predict that the two should arrive at Earth at markedly different times.
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