GW230708_053705
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-4.1
A black hole of about 49 solar masses, formed on 2023-07-08 when two black holes of roughly 29 and 23 solar masses spiralled together 10.8 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render49.4 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
146 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
10.8 billion ly
from Earth
29+23 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 29 (24–37) and 23 (17–28) solar masses. The remnant is 49 (42–59) 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 146 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 10.8 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW230924_124453Gravitational-wave source49.4 ☉GW250101_011205Gravitational-wave source48.7 ☉GW240525_031210Gravitational-wave source50.2 ☉GW241129_021832Gravitational-wave source50.6 ☉GW230704_021211Gravitational-wave source50.7 ☉GW240630_101703Gravitational-wave source48.0 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-4.1), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.