For years, astronomers have been detecting incredibly powerful pulses from the cosmos, without a confirmed source. Recent advances in astronomy are getting us closer to the solution.
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Articles on Gravitational waves
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Astronomers have discovered the first dormant black hole outside of the Milky Way. These black holes are not absorbing matter from a nearby star, making them incredibly hard to find.
The astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey for the 2020s lays out plans to search for life on distant planets, understand the formation of galaxies and solve deep mysteries of physics.
Some black holes are isolated in space and therefore near impossible to detect.
How scientists are planning to listen to the sound of the big bang with a gravitational wave detector that would fit in a kitchen.
The aftermath of a black hole colliding with a neutron star has been recorded on Earth.
Gravitational waves reveal the demise of super-dense neutron stars spiralling into their black hole companions - the first time such strange and exotic star systems have ever been observed.
The world’s biggest gravitational wave observatory is now probing the limits of quantum mechanics.
A small add-on to existing gravitational wave detectors could reveal what happens to matter as it becomes a black hole, a process like the big bang in reverse.
The 2020 Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science have recognised momentous achievements in astrophysics, sustainability innovation, epigenetics and primary and secondary teaching excellence.
New discovery settles a wager between astrophysicists: black holes can merge repeatedly.
An upgrade for the Australia Telescope Compact Array will enable major new discoveries about the universe
The signal came in on ANZAC Day, ripples in space-time from the merger of two neutron stars an estimated 500-million light years away. But where it happened is still a mystery.
More ripples in space-time have been detected from merging pairs of black holes, one of which was the most massive and distant gravitational-wave source ever observed.
Merging supermassive black holes would emit gravitational waves, allowing scientists to detect them.
Astronomers are now able to detect a host of signals streaming through the universe. This newfound ability is like gaining new senses and it’s opening the door to understanding the cosmos.
The Swift Observatory passed a milestone: 1 million snapshots of the universe. These exquisite and revealing pictures have captured the births and deaths of stars, gravitational waves and comets.
To better detect gravitational waves, we need to build the quietest and most isolated thing on Earth. And make sure we don’t drop those 40kg mirrors.
Astronomers are getting ready to say good bye to the radio emission from a neutron star merger – one of the most energetic events in the universe – that was detected last year.
From a slow hum to a chirp or a bleep, what is that sound you hear whenever there’s a new detection of gravitational waves?
Top contributors
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Emeritus Professor, ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery, OzGrav, The University of Western Australia
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Senior Lecturer and ARC Future Fellow, Monash University
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Alan Duffy is a Friend of The Conversation.
Director of the Space Technology and Industry Institute, Swinburne University of Technology
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Professor, University of Sydney
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Associate professor, Monash University
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Cosmologist, University of Tasmania
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South African Research Chair in Physical Cosmology, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Cape Town
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Professor of Gravitational Astrophysics and Cosmology, University of Glasgow
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Reader in Physics, University of Sheffield
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ARC Laureate Fellow, Swinburne University of Technology
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Professor of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
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Assistant Professor of Physics, Penn State
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Postdoctoral research fellow in Gravitational Wave Astrophysics, Monash University
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Associate Professor of Mathematical Physics, University of Cape Town
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Professor of Physics and Mathematics, Queen's University Belfast
