A technique to sift out the universe’s first gravitational waves

Identifying primordial ripples would be key to understanding the conditions of the early universe.

---

physics astrophysics research black-holes school-of-science kavli-institute space-astronomy-and-planetary-science ligo

3 Questions: Hsin-Yu Chen on treading lightly when dating the universe

MIT postdoc finds the angle at which we view neutron star collisions could significantly impact age measurements.

---

physics astrophysics astronomy research black-holes school-of-science 3-questions kavli-institute ligo neutron-stars

Designing new mirror materials for better gravitational-wave detection

Nicholas Demos, a first-generation college graduate and MathWorks Fellow in MIT’s Kavli Institute, is improving our ability to listen to the cosmos.

---

physics astrophysics astronomy profile research stars black-holes students awards-honors-and-fellowships graduate-postdoctoral school-of-science kavli-institute space-astronomy-and-planetary-science ligo

The wobbling shadow of the M87* black hole

Analysis of Event Horizon Telescope observations from 2009 to 2017 reveals turbulent evolution of the M87* black hole image.

---

astrophysics astronomy research black-holes space-astronomy-and-planetary-science haystack-observatory

An unexpected origin story for a lopsided black hole merger

Researchers suggest a novel process to explain the collision of a large black hole and a much smaller one.

---

physics astrophysics astronomy research black-holes school-of-science national-science-foundation-nsf kavli-institute space-astronomy-and-planetary-science ligo

A “bang” in LIGO and Virgo detectors signals most massive gravitational-wave source yet

A binary black hole merger likely produced gravitational waves equal to the energy of eight suns.

---

physics astrophysics astronomy data research black-holes school-of-science national-science-foundation-nsf kavli-institute space-astronomy-and-planetary-science ligo

Are we still listening to space?

Despite the planet’s seeming standstill, graduate students continue to use LIGO to identify astrophysical events.

---

physics space covid-19 pandemic research black-holes school-of-science faculty kavli-institute ligo astronomy-and-planetary-science

In a first, astronomers watch a black hole’s corona disappear, then reappear

A colliding star may have triggered the drastic transformation.

---

physics astrophysics space astronomy nasa research black-holes school-of-science kavli-institute satellites astronomy-and-planetary-science

Astronomers detect regular rhythm of radio waves, with origins unknown

Signal from 500 million light years away is the first periodic pattern of radio bursts detected.

---

physics astrophysics space astronomy research black-holes school-of-science kavli-institute astronomy-and-planetary-science

Event Horizon Telescope observes a black hole-powered jet

MIT Haystack Observatory researchers coauthor a paper announcing the observation of a surprising structure in a distant quasar, 3C 279.

---

astrophysics space astronomy research black-holes haystack-observatory astronomy-and-planetary-science