Summary: Astronomers captured the most detailed observations yet of a black‑hole merger about 1.3 billion light‑years away, combining gravitational‑wave data with multi‑wavelength follow‑up to probe how spacetime behaves at extreme energy scales.
Why it matters
Sharper measurements tighten tests of general relativity and inform how black holes grow—from stellar remnants to supermassive giants. They also refine models for the cosmic “background hum” of gravitational waves now being mapped by pulsar timing arrays.
Key facts
- Event: two black holes coalesced; gravitational waves detected and characterized.
- Distance: ~1.3 billion light‑years; observations align with Einstein/Hawking predictions.
- Technique: coordinated ground‑ and space‑based observations.
What to watch
New detections with higher signal‑to‑noise, constraints on black‑hole spins, and links to the stochastic gravitational‑wave background.