GW241102_144729
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-5.0
A black hole of about 72 solar masses, formed on 2024-11-02 when two black holes of roughly 44 and 31 solar masses spiralled together 11.1 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render72.0 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
213 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
11.1 billion ly
from Earth
44+31 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 44 (36–57) and 31 (20–41) solar masses. The remnant is 72 (63–85) 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 213 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 11.1 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW241230_084504Gravitational-wave source72.4 ☉GW190805_211137Gravitational-wave source72.4 ☉GW231226_101520Gravitational-wave source71.6 ☉GW190521_074359Gravitational-wave source72.6 ☉GW240621_214041Gravitational-wave source73.0 ☉GW231223_032836Gravitational-wave source73.0 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-5.0), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.