LIGO and Virgo collaborations

Researchers find strong hints of background ‘sea’ of gravity waves

12 January 2021 Astronomy Now

By measuring subtle changes in the timing of millisecond pulsar flashes, researchers are close to confirming the presence of a background “sea” of gravity waves.

Gravitational wave observatories detect biggest black hole merger yet

2 September 2020 Astronomy Now

Gravity waves indicate the birth of an elusive intermediate-mass black hole, raising fresh questions about the gap between stellar and supermassive black holes.

Quantum jolts measured at macro scales in gravity wave detector

6 July 2020 Astronomy Now

Researchers measure the unimaginably small jostling caused by quantum fluctuations at human scales.

Gravity waves herald merger of black hole and enigmatic companion

24 June 2020 Astronomy Now

Gravity waves indicate the merger of a massive black hole and a much less massive companion that may represent a new class of objects.

New technique touted for spotting elusive black hole mergers

18 November 2019 Astronomy Now

Black holes merging in the accretion disc of a supermassive black hole like the one at the core of the Milky Way might generate a visible signature, astronomers say.

Black hole gobbles neutron star, belches gravity waves

19 August 2019 Astronomy Now

Gravity waves detected 14 August indicate the apparent destruction of a neutron star being ripped apart by a black hole, researchers say

Upgrades to gravity wave detectors promise more discoveries

3 April 2019 Astronomy Now

After major upgrades to improve sensitivity, the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave observatories are set to begin a year of joint observations.

Cataclysmic neutron star merger generates powerful jet

27 February 2019 Astronomy Now

Astronomers studying the aftermath of the merger of two neutron stars have found what appears to be a powerful jet blasting through a shell of debris.

LIGO and VIRGO announce four new gravitational-wave detections

3 December 2018 Astronomy Now

The LIGO and VIRGO collaboration has announced the detection of gravitational waves from four previously unseen black hole mergers, including one that happened nine billion years ago

Gravity waves marked birth of merged hypermassive neutron star

14 November 2018 Astronomy Now

Detailed analysis of gravitational wave data collected last year indicating the merger of two neutron stars shows the result was a single massive neutron star, not a black hole.