GW231206_233901
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-4.1
A black hole of about 63 solar masses, formed on 2023-12-06 when two black holes of roughly 38 and 28 solar masses spiralled together 4.9 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render63.1 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
186 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
4.9 billion ly
from Earth
38+29 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 38 (33–44) and 29 (22–34) solar masses. The remnant is 63 (60–68) 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 186 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 4.9 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW240501_033534Gravitational-wave source63.1 ☉GW240907_153833Gravitational-wave source63.0 ☉GW231113_122623Gravitational-wave source63.0 ☉GW250114_082203Gravitational-wave source62.9 ☉GW240621_195059Gravitational-wave source62.9 ☉GW200208_130117Gravitational-wave source62.5 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-4.1), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.