LIGO: Einstein Was Right

First Detection of Gravitational Waves Produced by Colliding Neutron Stars

For the first time, scientists have directly detected gravitational waves — ripples in space and time — in addition to light from the spectacular collision of two neutron stars. This marks the first time that a cosmic event has been observed in both gravitational waves and light.

NSF News Release (Oct. 16, 2017)
Archive of Monday, Oct. 16 press conference webcast
Factsheet
NSF Media Advisory
Multimedia Resources

First Detection of Gravitational Waves Announced

NSF’s funding of LIGO and the science behind its operation and research began in the 1970s. On Feb. 11, 2016, LIGO scientists announced their findings at a press conference organized by NSF. With representation from LIGO’s many international partners and more than 1,000 collaborators, the historic announcement was webcast around the world. This discovery offers new scientific capability to observe and study our universe, much like the advent of radio astronomy or even when Galileo first used a telescope to view the night skies.

NSF News Release (Feb. 11, 2016)
NSB Statement
Media Contacts
Q&A
Speaker Biographies
Archived Webcast

Fact Sheet | Timeline | Testimonials

Background: Einstein himself questioned whether we could ever create an instrument sensitive enough to capture this phenomenon. Approximately 40 years ago, NSF joined this quest and began funding the science and technological innovation that led to detecting gravitational waves.

Additional LIGO News:

Gravitational waves detected from second pair of colliding black holes
(Jun. 15, 2016) NSF News Release

LIGO and Virgo observatories jointly detect black hole collision
(Sept. 27, 1017) NSF News Release

NSF-funded LIGO pioneers named 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics laureates
(Oct. 3, 2017) NSF News Release

LIGO detects third black hole merger
(Jun. 1, 2017) NSF Press Statement

Scientists to discuss new developments in gravitational-wave astronomy
(Oct. 11, 2017) NSF Media Advisory

Gallery

LIGO will unveil information about the most violent phenomena in our distant universe, such as supernovae explosions or colliding black holes. The detection reported on at the press conference, in fact, sheds light on two merging black holes 1.3 billion lightyears away.

Photo Gallery | Videos and Animations

Related links

LIGO Scientific Collaboration

Advanced LIGO

LIGO Caltech

GEO600

Virgo Collaboration