GW241009_022835
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-5.0
A black hole of about 61 solar masses, formed on 2024-10-09 when two black holes of roughly 37 and 27 solar masses spiralled together 18.3 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render61.0 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
180 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
18.3 billion ly
from Earth
37+27 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 37 (28–51) and 27 (17–37) solar masses. The remnant is 61 (49–79) 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 180 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 18.3 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW200208_222617Gravitational-wave source61.0 ☉GW230606_004305Gravitational-wave source60.8 ☉GW200112_155838Gravitational-wave source60.8 ☉GW231206_233134Gravitational-wave source60.6 ☉GW230726_002940Gravitational-wave source60.6 ☉GW150914Gravitational-wave source61.5 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-5.0), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.