GW231213_111417
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-4.1
A black hole of about 60 solar masses, formed on 2023-12-13 when two black holes of roughly 36 and 27 solar masses spiralled together 13.0 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render59.6 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
176 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
13.0 billion ly
from Earth
36+27 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 36 (29–46) and 27 (20–35) solar masses. The remnant is 60 (51–73) 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 176 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 13.0 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW190926_050336Gravitational-wave source59.6 ☉GW170818Gravitational-wave source59.7 ☉GW200209_085452Gravitational-wave source59.9 ☉GW241007_082943Gravitational-wave source60.1 ☉GW190517_055101Gravitational-wave source60.1 ☉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.