GW240104_164932
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-4.1
A black hole of about 71 solar masses, formed on 2024-01-04 when two black holes of roughly 42 and 32 solar masses spiralled together 6.2 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render70.7 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
209 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
6.2 billion ly
from Earth
42+32 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 42 (36–52) and 32 (24–40) solar masses. The remnant is 71 (63–81) 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 209 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 6.2 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW190421_213856Gravitational-wave source70.5 ☉GW250118_023225Gravitational-wave source71.0 ☉GW231127_165300Gravitational-wave source71.0 ☉GW230709_122727Gravitational-wave source71.0 ☉GW200128_022011Gravitational-wave source71.0 ☉GW241109_033317Gravitational-wave source70.0 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-4.1), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.