GW231223_032836
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-4.1
A black hole of about 73 solar masses, formed on 2023-12-23 when two black holes of roughly 46 and 31 solar masses spiralled together 13.7 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render73.0 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
216 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
13.7 billion ly
from Earth
46+31 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 46 (35–62) and 31 (17–43) solar masses. The remnant is 73 (60–90) 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 216 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 13.7 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW240621_214041Gravitational-wave source73.0 ☉GW231221_135041Gravitational-wave source73.0 ☉GW190521_074359Gravitational-wave source72.6 ☉GW241230_084504Gravitational-wave source72.4 ☉GW190805_211137Gravitational-wave source72.4 ☉GW240908_125134Gravitational-wave source74.0 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-4.1), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.