Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
A simulation of two black holes merging. Image: N. Fischer/H. Pfeiffer/A. Buonanno/SXS
Scientists have found 50 signals from gravitational waves sent out by massive objects slamming into each other in space.
Why it matters: The more scientists find these signals from cosmic crashes, the more they are able to piece together a fuller understanding of the universe, including the formation of black holes.
What they did: Researchers found 39 signals from gravitational waves sent out by colliding black holes and neutron stars picked up by the LIGO and Virgo detectors between April 1 and Oct 1, 2019.
- "The sharp increase in the number of detections was made possible by significant improvements to the instruments with respect to previous observation periods," according to the LIGO statement.
How it works: The two L-shaped LIGO detectors pick up gravitational waves by using a laser that runs down the length of each arm of the L.
- That laser bounces back to the bend in the L when it hits a mirror placed at each end.
- If both lasers get back to the middle at the same time, that means no gravitational wave has passed through, but if they're out of alignment, it could indicate a gravitational wave passed by, stretching the fabric of space and time as it did.