When two neutron stars collided in another galaxy, the gravitational waves – which are incredibly fast ripples in space – and light from the merger and resulting explosion traveled together for over 130 million years at the speed of light to arrive at Earth. LIGO detectors and our Fermi space telescope received these signals with just a 1.7 second delay between them. Using other NASA tools, we continued to characterize the explosion debris over the days and weeks that followed. This is the first time these two cosmic messengers have been detected from the same event, opening a new window into the study of neutron stars, black holes, and other powerful astronomical events. Find out more: https://go.nasa.gov/2hJV3Ky
Posted by NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Monday, October 16, 2017
