GW240107_013215
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-4.1
A black hole of about 87 solar masses, formed on 2024-01-07 when two black holes of roughly 59 and 33 solar masses spiralled together 18.9 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render87.0 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
257 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
18.9 billion ly
from Earth
59+33 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 59 (42–86) and 33 (16–53) solar masses. The remnant is 87 (68–116) 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 257 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 18.9 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW240612_081540Gravitational-wave source88.0 ☉GW200308_173609Gravitational-wave source88.0 ☉GW190620_030421Gravitational-wave source88.0 ☉GW250108_152221Gravitational-wave source86.0 ☉GW231230_170116Gravitational-wave source86.0 ☉GW240426_031451Gravitational-wave source84.0 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-4.1), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.