GRAVITATIONAL WAVES

For the first time physicists have observed "ripples"in the fabric of space-time called gravitational waves. Gravitational waves were predicted by Einstein in 1916, when he showed that accelerating massive objects would shake space-time so much that waves of distorted space would radiate from the source. These ripples travel at the speed of light through the Universe, carrying with them information about their cataclysmic origins, as well as invaluable clues to the nature of gravity itself. These waves are so small that only the violent acceleration of massive bodies gives signals that can become detectable. The most likely source of such detectable waves would be the collision of either two incredibly dense stars called neutron stars, or two black holes, or possibly a neutron star and a black hole. The new discovery is the first observation of gravitational waves themselves. Scientists have concluded that the detected gravitational waves were produced during the final fraction of a second of the merger of two black holes to produce a single, more massive spinning black hole. This detection is the beginning of a new era: The field of gravitational wave astronomy is now a reality. With this discovery science is embarking on a marvelous new quest to explore the warped side of the Universe- objects and phenomena that are made from warped space-time. Colliding black holes and gravitational waves are excellent examples.