Astronomers detect largest black hole smash-up on record
Astronomers have detected GW231123, the largest black hole smash-up on record.
Two gigantic black holes—about 137 and 103 times the mass of our Sun—collided to form an even bigger one, weighing in at roughly 225 solar masses.
Gravitational waves are 'ripples in space'
This cosmic collision sent out powerful gravitational waves (think: ripples in space itself) that LIGO's detectors picked up from as far as 13 billion light-years away.
We can't see these events with regular telescopes—they're only "visible" through these spacetime ripples.
These black holes shouldn't exist
Here's the twist: Black holes this massive aren't supposed to form from single stars, according to current science.
This suggests they might be built from earlier mergers or something else entirely, giving researchers lots to puzzle over.
Discovery helps scientists piece together how giant black holes grow
Catching GW231123 is a big win for gravitational wave astronomy.
Each discovery like this helps scientists piece together how giant black holes grow and shape our universe—so there's still plenty left to explore!