- Gravitational waves are ripples that travel at the speed of light through the fabric of space-time.
- Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves in his general theory of relativity a century ago, and scientists have been attempting to detect them for 50 years.
- On Thursday, February 11, 2016, physicists from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) announced that they had detected gravitational waves from a black hole collision, proving Einstein was right. The LIGO detections represent a much-awaited first step toward opening a whole new branch of astrophysics.
- Prior to the direct detection of gravitational waves, there was indirect evidence for their existence. For example, measurements of the Hulse–Taylor binary system suggest that gravitational waves are more than a hypothetical concept.
- The historic detection of gravitational waves may open a new era of astronomy in which gravitational waves are tools for studying the most mysterious and exotic objects in the universe.
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