Gravitational waves provide a new way to study the cosmos from "summary" of The Mysteries of the Universe by Will Gater
Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of spacetime itself, caused by some of the most violent and energetic processes in the universe. These waves were first predicted by Albert Einstein in 1916 as part of his theory of general relativity. For decades, scientists searched for evidence of these elusive waves, but it wasn't until 2015 that they were finally detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). The detection of gravitational waves was a monumental moment in the history of astrophysics, opening up a whole new way to study the cosmos. One of the key advantages of gravitational waves is that they allow scientists to observe phenomena that are invisible to traditional telescopes. Unlike light, which can be absorbed, scattered, or blocked by matter, gravitational waves pass through the universe unimpeded, allowing astronomers to study the most extreme events in the universe, such as colliding black holes and neutron stars. By detecting these events, scientists can learn more about the nature of gravity, the behavior of matter under extreme conditions, and the e...
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