News Physics

Scientists’ collection of gravitational waves just got a lot bigger

Scientists added 4 new sets of spacetime ripples to their inventory

black holes

COUNT ’EM  Physicists have now spotted gravitational waves from 10 black hole collisions (two black holes illustrated) and one neutron star merger.

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By Emily Conover

Astronomers have now tallied up more gravitational wave sightings than they can count on their fingers.  

Scientists with the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave observatories report four new sets of these ripples in spacetime. Those additions bring the total count to 11, the researchers say in a study published December 3 at arXiv.org,