GW230726_002940
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-4.1
A black hole of about 61 solar masses, formed on 2023-07-26 when two black holes of roughly 36 and 28 solar masses spiralled together 6.8 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render60.6 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
179 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
6.8 billion ly
from Earth
36+28 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 36 (30–45) and 28 (22–34) solar masses. The remnant is 61 (53–70) 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 179 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 6.8 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW231206_233134Gravitational-wave source60.6 ☉GW230606_004305Gravitational-wave source60.8 ☉GW200112_155838Gravitational-wave source60.8 ☉GW241009_022835Gravitational-wave source61.0 ☉GW200208_222617Gravitational-wave source61.0 ☉GW200129_065458Gravitational-wave source60.2 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-4.1), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.