GW241109_033317
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-5.0
A black hole of about 70 solar masses, formed on 2024-11-09 when two black holes of roughly 42 and 32 solar masses spiralled together 8.8 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render70.0 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
207 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
8.8 billion ly
from Earth
42+32 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 42 (34–54) and 32 (22–41) solar masses. The remnant is 70 (59–85) 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 207 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 8.8 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW240621_200935Gravitational-wave source70.0 ☉GW230803_033412Gravitational-wave source70.0 ☉GW190421_213856Gravitational-wave source70.5 ☉GW240104_164932Gravitational-wave source70.7 ☉GW240511_031507Gravitational-wave source69.1 ☉GW250118_023225Gravitational-wave source71.0 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-5.0), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.