GW241230_233618
Gravitational-wave source · GWTC-5.0
A black hole of about 112 solar masses, formed on 2024-12-30 when two black holes of roughly 68 and 49 solar masses spiralled together 8.8 billion light-years away. LIGO and Virgo felt the collision as ripples in spacetime.
Computed render112 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
331 km
event-horizon radius (computed)
8.8 billion ly
from Earth
68+49 ☉
the two that merged
The two black holes that merged were about 68 (54–85) and 49 (30–65) solar masses. The remnant is 112 (94–134) 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 331 km in radius. The waves we detected had been travelling for 8.8 billion years before they reached us.
Black holes of similar mass
GW231001_140220Gravitational-wave source111 ☉GW190602_175927Gravitational-wave source111 ☉GW190706_222641Gravitational-wave source107 ☉GW191109_010717Gravitational-wave source107 ☉GW230814_061920Gravitational-wave source106 ☉GW230922_040658Gravitational-wave source119 ☉
Source: Gravitational-Wave Open Science Center (GWTC-5.0), LIGO Virgo KAGRA. CC BY 4.0. See data & analysis for full sourcing.