Gravitational Waves

Gravitational waves are ripples in space-time created by the interaction of massive objects in space, such as black holes and neutron stars. Their existence was first predicted by Albert Einstein in his 1916 paper describing his theory of general relativity. In 2015, scientists made the first detection of gravitational waves, observing ripples from the collision of two black holes. The discovery won astrophysicists Kip Thorne, Barry Baris and Rainer Weiss the 2017 Nobel Prize for Physics. Subsequent observations have also detected gravitational waves from colliding neutron stars. Learn more about gravitational waves here.

Related Topics: Black Holes, Dark Matter, The Theory of Relativity in Space

Latest Updates

A burst of gravitational waves hit our planet. Astronomers have no clue where it's from.

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

The signal doesn’t seem to match the most obvious causes.

This new image from the Hubble Space Telescope features the enormous galaxy UGC 2885, which may be the largest known galaxy in the local universe. Located 232 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Perseus, UGC 2885 is about 2.5 times the width of the Milky Way and contains 10 times the number of stars. However, it's a relatively quiet galaxy, with new stars forming at only half the rate of new stars in the Milky Way.

Space photos: The most amazing images this week!

By Doris Elin Urrutia

Here are our picks for the most amazing space photos of the week.

Artist's rendition of a binary neutron star merger.

Gravitational-Wave Discovery Reveals Spectacular Crash of Neutron Stars, the 2nd Known

By Adam Mann

For the second time ever, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) has spotted two ultradense stellar remnants known as neutron stars violently crashing together.

The Decade in Astronomy: These Space Discoveries Shaped the 2010s

By Sarah Wells

As the 2010s come to a close, it's time to revisit how some of the biggest space science stories shaped the decade.

An artist's illustration of two black holes merging and creating ripples in spacetime known as gravitational waves.

The Universe Remembers Gravitational Waves — And We Can Find Them

By Paul Sutter

Scientists are on the verge of being able to detect the "memory" left behind by gravitational waves.

A 3D gravitational waveform from a general relativistic simulation of binary black holes.

Astronomers Will Use Gravitational Waves to Observe a 'Black Hole Symphony'

By Samantha Mathewson

Gravitational-wave astronomy may help researchers paint a more complete picture of black hole activity.

Mysterious Gravitational Wave Sparks Days-Long Hunt — But It Was Just a Glitch

By Rafi Letzter

This wasn't what anyone was hoping for.

Clouds that formed on the crests of gravity waves made their ripples visible to satellites.

These Mesmerizing Images Show 'Invisible Gravity Waves' Rippling Over Australia

By Mindy Weisberger

Satellite images captured a rare glimpse of a phenomenon known as atmospheric gravity waves.

Cosmic-string loops wiggle and oscillate, producing gravitational waves, then slowly shrink as they lose energy until they disappear.

The Mysterious Cosmic Strings

By Paul Sutter

These weird defects in space-time should be out there, somewhere.

A series of images show a kilonova fading over about 10 days of observation by the Hubble Space Telescope.

When Neutron Stars Collide: Scientists Spot Kilonova Explosion from Epic 2016 Crash

By Elizabeth Howell

Scientists recently spotted a gold-and-platinum factory in space called a "kilonova," or an epic explosion that likely happened when two dense stars collided with each other.

To Hunt Gravitational Waves, Scientists Had to Create the Quietest Spot on Earth

By Dana Najjar

The largest physics detector on Earth hunts gravitational waves. But it needs to be really, really quiet to find them.

Hubble Space Telescope image of the Crab Nebula, a famous and well-studied supernova remnant.

Whirling 'Collapsar' Stars Gave Universe Its Gold

By Charles Q. Choi

Most of the universe's gold, uranium and other heavy elements are generated from rapidly whirling collapsing stars, a new study finds.

An artist's illustration of two black holes spiraling together, creating gravitational waves in the process.

With New Gravitational-Wave Detectors, More Cosmic Mysteries Will Be Solved

By Charles Q. Choi

Upcoming gravitational-wave observatories both on Earth and in space could soon help solve some of the greatest mysteries in science.

This artist's illustration shows two colliding neutron stars, the super-dense cores left behind after stars undergo supernova explosions.

'Improved' Gravitational-Wave Detectors Rake in Five Exciting Finds in a Month

By Sarah Lewin

Just a month into a new observing round after significant improvements, gravitational-wave detectors have already used ripples in space-time to pinpoint five collisions of cosmic proportions.

A simulated image of two black holes colliding.

Make Your Own Gravitational Waves with 'BlackHoles@Home'

By Hanneke Weitering

Scientists want your help studying black holes — and you can do it from your own home!

This bright burst of X-rays, observed by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, was likely generated by the collision of two neutron stars 6.6 billion light-years from Earth, a new study reports.

Boom! Another Neutron-Star Crash Spotted

By Mike Wall

Astronomers have apparently spotted another epic neutron-star crash — and they didn't need gravitational waves to do it.