GW240426_031451
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-5.0
A black hole of about 84 solar masses, formed on 2024-04-26 when two black holes of roughly 52 and 36 solar masses spiralled together 13.0 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render84.0 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
248 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
13.0 billion ly
from Earth
52+36 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 52 (41–66) and 36 (24–47) solar masses. The remnant is 84 (71–101) 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 248 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 13.0 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW230824_033047Gravitational-wave source84.0 ☉GW241127_061008Gravitational-wave source83.0 ☉GW250108_152221Gravitational-wave source86.0 ☉GW231230_170116Gravitational-wave source86.0 ☉GW241229_155844Gravitational-wave source82.0 ☉GW240601_061200Gravitational-wave source82.0 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-5.0), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.