GW230919_215712
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-4.1
A black hole of about 46 solar masses, formed on 2023-09-19 when two black holes of roughly 27 and 21 solar masses spiralled together 4.3 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render46.5 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
137 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
4.3 billion ly
from Earth
27+21 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 27 (24–33) and 21 (17–25) solar masses. The remnant is 47 (42–51) 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 137 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 4.3 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW240615_160735Gravitational-wave source45.9 ☉GW170104Gravitational-wave source47.5 ☉GW240109_050431Gravitational-wave source45.2 ☉GW241210_060606Gravitational-wave source47.9 ☉GW240630_101703Gravitational-wave source48.0 ☉GW231005_091549Gravitational-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.