GW230609_064958
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-4.1
A black hole of about 58 solar masses, formed on 2023-06-09 when two black holes of roughly 35 and 25 solar masses spiralled together 11.1 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render58.0 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
171 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
11.1 billion ly
from Earth
35+25 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 35 (28–46) and 25 (18–33) solar masses. The remnant is 58 (50–70) solar masses. Values in parentheses are the 90% credible ranges from LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA (GWTC).
Its event horizon, the edge past which nothing returns, spans about 171 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 11.1 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW240615_113620Gravitational-wave source57.8 ☉GW240703_191355Gravitational-wave source58.3 ☉GW241101_220523Gravitational-wave source57.7 ☉GW250119_025138Gravitational-wave source57.1 ☉GW230927_043729Gravitational-wave source59.0 ☉GW230814_230901Gravitational-wave source59.0 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-4.1), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.