The Chemical Connection: Getting the Best from Your Cupric Chloride Etchant
It’s Only Common Sense: The Dangers of Staying Stagnant in a Changing World
Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘Born to Create’
15 Years of Radio Data Reveals Evidence of Space-Time Murmur
June 30, 2023 | NASA JPLEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Scientists have found evidence of a universal background of gravitational waves, or ripples in the fabric of space-time.
The motion of black holes and other massive objects through space can create ripples in the fabric of the universe, called gravitational waves. On June 28 scientists announced the first evidence of a background of long-wavelength gravitational waves that fills the cosmos. These waves are thought to have been created over eons by supermassive black holes, up to billions of times the mass of our Sun, circling each other before they merge. Detecting the gravitational wave background is analogous to hearing the hum of a large group of people talking at a party, without distinguishing any particular voice.
The background ripples detected by NANOGrav could help scientists better understand how gravitational waves are created and what happens to them as they propagate through the universe. They could also be used to study supermassive black hole mergers, events that can last for millions of years. Scientists think these mergers happen in most galaxies and influence their evolution.
The North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) presented the evidence in a series of papers published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. NANOGrav is a National Science Foundation-funded Physics Frontiers Center of more than 190 scientists from the United States and Canada, including scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and other NASA centers. The collaboration has spent more than 15 years collecting high-precision data from ground-based radio telescopes, looking for these gravitational waves.
The discovery complements the first-ever detection of gravitational waves in 2015 by LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Observatory. Those signals, at a much shorter wavelength than the new discovery, were from black holes about 30 times the mass of our Sun.
NASA is contributing to the ESA (European Space Agency)-led Laser Interferometer Space Antenna mission, a future space-based observatory that will detect gravitational waves that are in a wavelength range between those detected by NANOGrav and LIGO.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Cadence, AST SpaceMobile Partner for Global Connectivity
12/04/2024 | Cadence Design SystemsCadence Design Systems, Inc. and AST SpaceMobile, Inc., the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones designed for both commercial and government applications, announced their collaboration to advance AST SpaceMobile’s mission to eliminate connectivity gaps and connect people around the world with high-speed, space-based internet access.
Polymatech Electronics Partners with South Wales SME 'SimplyRFMW' to Advance 5G and 6G RF Power Amplifier Designs
12/04/2024 | PRNewswirePolymatech Electronics, a global pioneer in semiconductor chip manufacturing headquartered in Chennai, India, has announced a strategic partnership with SimplyRFMW Limited, a South Wales-based SME renowned for its expertise in RF and microwave engineering.
Foxconn Showcases Satellite Technology and Industry Ecosystem at TASTI 2024
12/03/2024 | FoxconnHon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) participated in the 2024 Taiwan Space International Annual Conference (TASTI 2024) being held November 30 - December 4, 2024, showcasing its latest advancements in low-orbit satellite communications and its commitment to building a robust satellite industry ecosystem.
Case Study: PCB Design Flaws Affect Product Cost
12/03/2024 | Matt Stevenson, ASC SunstoneIn the rapidly evolving aerospace industry, precision and reliability are paramount. “AeroTech Solutions” (not the company’s real name), an aerospace company specializing in satellite technology, recently faced a significant challenge that tested its operational integrity: A flaw identified in the PCB design of its latest satellite model led to unexpected delays and cost overruns.
NASA Plans to Assign Missions for Two Future Artemis Cargo Landers
12/02/2024 | NASANASA, along with its industry and international partners, is preparing for sustained exploration of the lunar surface with the Artemis campaign to advance science and discovery for the benefit of all. As part of that effort, NASA intends to award Blue Origin and SpaceX additional work under their existing contracts to develop landers that will deliver large pieces of equipment and infrastructure to the lunar surface.