2015 ⟶ First Direct Detection of Gravitational Waves
Gravitational waves are observed
Year
2015
2016
2017
2023
📡 First Direct Detection of Gravitational Waves
AstrophysicsGravitational WavesLIGOGeneral RelativityObservational AstronomyBlack HolesCosmology
United States
Switzerland🚀 New Horizons Pluto Flyby and LIGO's First Gravitational Wave Detection
On July 14, with the successful encounter of Pluto by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, the United States became the first nation to explore all of the nine major planets recognized in 1981. Later on September 14, LIGO was the first to directly detect gravitational waves.⟶
Space ExplorationPlanetary ScienceNew HorizonsPlutoLIGOGravitational WavesGeneral RelativityAstrophysics
United StatesSwitzerland⚫ LIGO Detects Gravitational Waves from Black Hole Merger
The LIGO team detects gravitational waves from a black hole merger⟶
AstrophysicsGravitational WavesLIGOBlack HolesMergerGeneral RelativityObservational Astronomy
United StatesSwitzerland💥 Observation of Gravitational Waves and Electromagnetic Signal from Neutron Star Collision (GW170817)
In August 2017, a neutron star collision that occurred in the galaxy NGC 4993 produced the gravitational wave signal GW170817, which was observed by the LIGO/Virgo collaboration. After 1.7 seconds, it was observed as the gamma-ray burst GRB 170817A by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and INTEGRAL, and its optical counterpart SSS17a was detected 11 hours later at the Las Campanas Observatory. Further optical observations e.g. by the Hubble Space Telescope and the Dark Energy Camera, ultraviolet observations by the Swift gamma-ray burst Mission, X-ray observations by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and radio observations by the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array complemented the detection. This was the first instance of a gravitational wave event that was observed to have a simultaneous electromagnetic signal, thereby marking a significant breakthrough for multi-messenger astronomy. Non-observation of neutrinos is attributed to the jets being strongly off-axis.⟶
AstrophysicsGravitational WavesMulti-messenger AstronomyNeutron StarsGW170817LIGOVirgoElectromagnetic RadiationGamma-Ray BurstCosmology
United States
Italy
Chile💫 Simultaneous Detection of Gravitational Waves and Electromagnetic Signal (GW170817)
Gravitational wave signal GW170817 is observed by the LIGO/Virgo collaboration. This is the first instance of a gravitational wave event observed to have a simultaneous electromagnetic signal when space telescopes like Hubble observed lights coming from the event, thereby marking a significant breakthrough for multi-messenger astronomy.⟶
AstrophysicsGravitational WavesElectromagnetic SignalNeutron Star MergerLIGOVirgoMulti-messenger AstronomyGW170817
United StatesItaly🌌 Experimental Evidence of Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background
Experimental evidence of stochastic Gravitational wave background⟶
PhysicsGravitational WavesCosmologyAstrophysicsStochastic Background21st CenturyGeneral Relativity