LIGO detects two consecutive gravitational waves in two consecutive days

Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves through his theory of general relativity about a century ago. At the time, many believed such a phenomenon to be absurd. Einstein himself is said to have doubted the existence of something as extraordinary as gravitational waves. However, nearly a century later in 2016, Einstein turned out to be right, as scientists detected gravitational waves using the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory), winning the Nobel Prize. On Thursday, the team of scientists at LIGO again detected an event, followed by yet another one on Friday. The detection on Friday marks the fifth one just this month.

Gravitational are ripples in space-time caused by extremely massive cataclysmic events such as collisions between black holes or neutron stars. LIGO detectors at three locations across the globe detected the ripple, causing excitement among the scientific community. Astronomers across the world turned to their telescopes hoping to catch a glimpse of the rare event. The first gravitational wave detected in 2016 was caused by the merger of two black holes. But astronomers are unsure of the reason behind the waves observed on Thursday and Friday. What’s interesting is that some experts believe that one of these waves could be the result of a collision of a black hole and a neutron star, which would make it a first.

The universe is a strange and fascinating place, where reality is often stranger than fiction. Instruments like the LIGO are hugely important as they improve our understanding of the cosmos.