GW240902_143306
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-5.0
A black hole of about 41 solar masses, formed on 2024-09-02 when two black holes of roughly 24 and 18 solar masses spiralled together 9.5 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render40.8 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
121 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
9.5 billion ly
from Earth
24+18 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 24 (20–31) and 18 (13–23) solar masses. The remnant is 41 (35–48) 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 121 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 9.5 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW191215_223052Gravitational-wave source41.4 ☉GW190408_181802Gravitational-wave source41.4 ☉GW230624_113103Gravitational-wave source41.7 ☉GW200306_093714Gravitational-wave source41.7 ☉GW240513_183302Gravitational-wave source39.4 ☉GW241006_015333Gravitational-wave source42.7 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-5.0), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.