GW230601_224134
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-4.1
A black hole of about 102 solar masses, formed on 2023-06-01 when two black holes of roughly 64 and 44 solar masses spiralled together 12.1 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render102 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
301 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
12.1 billion ly
from Earth
64+44 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 64 (51–81) and 44 (29–58) solar masses. The remnant is 102 (88–123) 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 301 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 12.1 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW230819_171910Gravitational-wave source102 ☉GW190403_051519Gravitational-wave source102 ☉GW240824_205609Gravitational-wave source103 ☉GW241125_010116Gravitational-wave source101 ☉GW240618_071627Gravitational-wave source101 ☉GW231029_111508Gravitational-wave source101 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-4.1), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.