GW231004_232346
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-4.1
A black hole of about 96 solar masses, formed on 2023-10-04 when two black holes of roughly 64 and 35 solar masses spiralled together 14.4 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render96.0 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
284 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
14.4 billion ly
from Earth
64+35 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 64 (46–89) and 35 (21–51) solar masses. The remnant is 96 (77–122) 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 284 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 14.4 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW241116_151753Gravitational-wave source95.0 ☉GW231102_071736Gravitational-wave source98.0 ☉GW241225_082815Gravitational-wave source94.0 ☉GW230708_230935Gravitational-wave source99.0 ☉GW240519_012815Gravitational-wave source100 ☉GW190519_153544Gravitational-wave source100 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-4.1), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.