GW231005_021030
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-4.1
A black hole of about 127 solar masses, formed on 2023-10-05 when two black holes of roughly 84 and 50 solar masses spiralled together 20.5 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render127 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
375 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
20.5 billion ly
from Earth
84+50 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 84 (61–113) and 50 (30–72) solar masses. The remnant is 127 (102–163) 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 375 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 20.5 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW230704_212616Gravitational-wave source132 ☉GW230922_040658Gravitational-wave source119 ☉GW200220_061928Gravitational-wave source141 ☉GW231028_153006Gravitational-wave source144 ☉GW241230_233618Gravitational-wave source112 ☉GW231001_140220Gravitational-wave source111 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-4.1), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.