WHEN THE darkest objects in the universe interact, you do not expect to see fireworks. Except that in this instance we have, believes a group of scientists. In a galaxy billions of light years from Earth, two black holes, each with a mass dozens of times of our Sun, collided and merged, giving off a bright flare. Until now, black hole collisions were registered from the gravitational waves—jiggling of space and time—that the event generated. An accompanying flash means that not only can the collision of these unimaginably dense bodies be heard but also seen, which gives researchers a new tool to study them and the galaxies they are in.
Researchers have for long theorised that black hole mergers can be accompanied by light. They might have some evidence now, but they still do not rule out that other factors could have caused the flare.
It began on May 21, 2019, when two observatories on either side of the Atlantic ocean—the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) operated by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US; and the Virgo detector at the European Gravitational Observatory in Italy—announced a “candidate” gravitational wave event, which they named S190521g. “If confirmed #S190521g is most likely about 2 billion light years distant,” said a tweet by LIGO on May 21, 2019. “Preliminary analysis indicates that, if confirmed, #S190521g is most likely a pair of merging #BlackHoles,” said another tweet the same day. LIGO is yet to confirm the event.
Denne historien er fra August 16, 2020-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 16, 2020-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara