What Are Gravitational Waves?
Gravitational waves are ripples in space-time caused by accelerating massive objects, predicted by Einstein in 1916 and first detected in 2015.
They are produced by:
Black hole mergers
Neutron star collisions
Supernova explosions
Detecting the Undetectable
Gravitational waves are incredibly weak by the time they reach Earth.
Facilities like LIGO detect them by measuring changes smaller than the width of a proton using laser interferometers.
Why Gravitational Waves Matter
They allow astronomers to:
Observe invisible objects
Study black holes directly
Test general relativity
Explore the universe in an entirely new way
This is called gravitational-wave astronomy.
Key Takeaways
Gravitational waves are real
They confirm predictions of relativity
They open a new window on the universe