The black hole collision is 2.4 billion light-years from Earth

Scientists first discovered a pair of black holes with a mass difference of nearly four collisions and mergers.

Illustration of mismatched black holes. Photo: Space.

On April 12, 2019, gravitational detectors captured the signal of space-time ripples resulting from a black hole collision. However, instead of two similar-sized black holes, this is a difference collision with a black hole that is nearly 4 times the mass of the opponent. Scientists working at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) announced the discovery in an online meeting of the American Physical Society (APS) on April 18.

"This is a special collision. We don't think it will have such characteristics after studying the first 10 pairs of black holes," said Maya Fishbach, an expert at the University of Chicago. These 10 black hole collisions were recorded during the first two LIGO operations, taking place from 2015-2017. No matter how big the collision, the two black holes are always about the same size. However, during its third operation in 2019, LIGO recorded a noticeable difference in the collision.

"Certainly we are just beginning to understand the diversity of black hole pairs out there. I am excited to discover a little bit more of the mysteries of the universe every day," said Frank Ohme, a scientist at Max Planck Research Institute, share.

The pair of black holes is 2.4 billion light-years from Earth, Fishbach said. One black hole has about 8 times the mass of the Sun, the other one is about 30 times more massive.

The new discovery helps scientists better understand how black holes collide and merge. "We are slowly understanding how rare and rare such black holes are, so we can deduce the process of their formation," said Giancarlo Cella, a researcher at the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics. , said.

LIGO's third wave of operations was shortened by Covid-19 but it also recorded 50 new observations. Scientists are analyzing them so there may be more differences in merging black holes in the near future.