GW230731_215307
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-4.1
A black hole of about 17 solar masses, formed on 2023-07-31 when two black holes of roughly 10 and 8 solar masses spiralled together 3.6 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render17.4 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
51 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
3.6 billion ly
from Earth
10+8 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 10 (9–13) and 8 (6–9) solar masses. The remnant is 17 (16–19) 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 51 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 3.6 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW191105_143521Gravitational-wave source17.6 ☉GW190725_174728Gravitational-wave source17.6 ☉GW240601_231004Gravitational-wave source17.7 ☉GW170608Gravitational-wave source17.7 ☉GW230904_051013Gravitational-wave source17.1 ☉GW240916_184352Gravitational-wave source17.8 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-4.1), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.