GW240925_005809
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-5.0
A black hole of about 15 solar masses, formed on 2024-09-25 when two black holes of roughly 9 and 7 solar masses spiralled together 1.2 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render15.3 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
45 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
1.2 billion ly
from Earth
9+7 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 9 (8–11) and 7 (6–8) solar masses. The remnant is 15 (15–16) 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 45 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 1.2 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW231224_024321Gravitational-wave source15.9 ☉GW230630_234532Gravitational-wave source16.1 ☉GW250118_055802Gravitational-wave source16.6 ☉GW240910_103535Gravitational-wave source16.6 ☉GW200202_154313Gravitational-wave source16.8 ☉GW191129_134029Gravitational-wave source16.8 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-5.0), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.