Benise Balaoing

This handout artist’s impression obtained on June 18, 2024 from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) shows the growing disc of material being pulled in by the black hole as it feeds on the gas available in surroundings of the galaxy SDSS1335+0728, making the galaxy light up. M. Kornmesser / EUROPEAN SOUTHERN OBSERVATORY / AFP

Article (news)

Black hole

Agence France-Presse

PARIS, France -- Ripples in spacetime sent hurtling through the universe when two black holes smash into each other -- a phenomenon predicted by Albert Einstein -- have confirmed a theory proposed by fellow physicist Stephen Hawking over 50 years ago, scientists announced Wednesday.These ripples, which are called gravitational waves, were detected for the first time in 2015 by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the United States.In his 1916 theory of general relativity, Einstein predicted that the cataclysmic merger of two black holes would produce gravitational waves that would ripple across the universe and eventually arrive at Earth.On January 14 this year, LIGO detected another of these signals from the distant universe.That is no longer such a surprise.Scientists in the LVK collaboration -- a vast network of scientists whose facilities includes gravitational wave detectors in Italy and Japan -- now record a new black hole merger roughly once every three days.However January was &quot;the loudest gravitational wave event we have detected to date,&quot; LIGO member Geraint Pratten of the University of Birmingham, England, said in a statement.<div>From a whisper to a shout</div>&quot;It was like a whisper becoming a shout,&quot; added the co-author of a new study in the Physical Review Letters.The latest event bore striking similarities to the first one detected a decade ago.Both involved collisions of black holes with masses of between 30-40 times that of our Sun. And both smash-ups occurred around 1.3 billion light years away.But thanks to technological improvements over the years, scientists are now able to greatly reduce the background noise, giving them far clearer data.This allowed the researchers to confirm a theory by another great physicist.In 1971, Stephen Hawking predicted that a black hole&#x27;s event horizon -- the area from which nothing including light can escape -- cannot shrink.This means that when two black holes merge, the new monster they create must have the same or larger surface area than the pair started out with.Scientists analysing January&#x27;s merger, called GW250114, were able to show that Hawking was right.

Ripples in spacetime sent hurtling through the universe when two black holes smash into each other -- a phenomenon predicted by Albert Einstein -- have confirmed a theory proposed by fellow physicist Stephen Hawking over 50 years ago.

Ripples in spacetime sent hurtling through the universe when two black holes smash into each other -- a phenomenon predicted by Albert Einstein -- have confirmed a theory proposed by fellow physicist Stephen Hawking over 50 years ago.

Gravitational waves from black hole smash confirm Hawking theory

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Gravitational waves from black hole smash confirm Hawking theory

Agence France-Presse

Published Sep 11, 2025 12:13 PM PHT

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black hole

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gravitational waves

Stephen Hawking

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