The most massive black hole merger ever detected shakes up astrophysics

[Alfonso Maruccia]

What just happened? A few years after making history with the first detection of gravitational waves, LIGO has observed a new, unprecedented cosmic event: the most massive black hole merger ever recorded. This extraordinary discovery challenges existing models of physics and astrophysics, prompting scientists to launch long-term investigations into the newly captured data.

The LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) collaboration has announced a groundbreaking discovery in the field of gravitational wave astronomy. The international research team has detected the most massive merger of two distinct black holes ever recorded. The event, designated GW231123, resulted in the formation of a new black hole with a mass 225 times that of the Sun.

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) first made history in 2016 when it confirmed the existence of gravitational waves, providing strong evidence for Einstein's general theory of relativity. Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space-time that travel at the speed of light and can only be detected using instruments of extreme precision, such as those operated by LIGO.

Originally funded by the National Science Foundation and operated by Caltech and MIT, LIGO now works in tandem with two additional observatories: Virgo in Italy and KAGRA in Japan. These detectors form the LVK collaboration. Their latest observing run, conducted in November 2023, led to the detection of GW231123.

The two black holes involved in GW231123 had estimated masses of approximately 100 and 140 times that of the Sun, making them the most massive ever detected in LIGO's history. Before this event, the record-holder was GW190521 – discovered in 2021 – with a combined mass of 140 solar masses.

What makes GW231123 even more extraordinary is that both black holes were rapidly spinning, near the theoretical limits imposed by Einstein's general relativity. According to LVK researcher Charlie Hoy, such high rotational speeds shouldn't be possible under standard models of stellar evolution, making the discovery difficult to explain with current astrophysical theories.

One leading hypothesis is that these black holes themselves originated from earlier mergers. In this scenario, smaller black holes formed a binary system that eventually merged again, resulting in the enormous and fast-spinning pair seen in GW231123.

LVK member Gregorio Carullo notes that it may take years for scientists to fully unravel the implications of this event. The findings are being officially presented at the 24th International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation in Glasgow, Scotland.

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The most massive black hole merger ever detected shakes up astrophysics

 

[seeprime]

This observation did not "shake up" anyone. It's new knowledge that astrophysicists have added to their basket of information. Why is this article so oddly emotionally charged? A more sensible article is at Universe Today. https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-most-massive-black-hole-merger-ever

 

[Lew Zealand]

This observation did not "shake up" anyone. It's new knowledge that astrophysicists have added to their basket of information. Why is this article so oddly emotionally charged? A more sensible article is at Universe Today. https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-most-massive-black-hole-merger-ever

Thanks for the reminder of Universe Today, they seem to cover all things astro without any of the Value Added Histrionics mass-infecting media today.

 

[yRaz]

This observation did not "shake up" anyone. It's new knowledge that astrophysicists have added to their basket of information. Why is this article so oddly emotionally charged? A more sensible article is at Universe Today. https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-most-massive-black-hole-merger-ever

Because click bait works.

 

[daffy duck]

I felt the earth move the other day, so this explains it.

 

[Aus spot]

This is another example I have when I try and explain science does not have all the answers, science is a series of theory's that are our best guess at how and why things work based on our knowledge at the time. They will be modified and replaced when new information is obtained.

Most of us know the world is not a perfect sphere (it’s certainly not flat if that’s what you are thinking). But the most recent evidence shows an imperfect sphere.

From flat, to sphere, to imperfect sphere all scientific facts until disproven.

 

[mbk34]

From flat, to sphere, to imperfect sphere all scientific facts until disproven.

slight corrections - all scientific theories until disproved.

 

[BobHome]

"... it may take years for scientists to fully unravel the implications of this event."
Just feed it to AI--I'm sure it will give an Excellent explanation!
(yeah, sarcasm)

 

[GeoffreyA]

slight corrections - all scientific theories until disproved.

Yes, science generally talks about models, and revising or discarding them in the light of experiment. That is the scientific method.

Many of our cherished theories won't be disproved outright but will be approximations to a more accurate theory. Just as Newton's laws are an excellent approximation for everyday life, but in other cases, general relativity is needed. The day will come when GR is replaced, but the successor will still have to reproduce GR for the classical limit. Many so-called quantum theories of gravity struggle to reproduce GR. If they can't perform that first step, they're a dead end.

 

[rmcrys]

What this shows, is that 99.9% off this world's brains are rather useless, but then some brilliant "out of this world" minds appear (Einstein and so on). Others just work on their findings and adjusting things..

The big question is: what will be faster? Our brains AND politicians to find a planet to live (and get there...) or a black hole / exhausted sun to kill earth?

ATM most politicians are worried making war on Earth and not spending money researching the way to get out of here

 

[mbk34]

The big question is: what will be faster? Our brains AND politicians to find a planet to live (and get there...) or a black hole / exhausted sun to kill earth?

The Sun will become a red giant and swallow the Earth in about 5 billion years. Unfortunately we're going to disappear long before then. Climate change seems the biggest threat at the moment. Sea level rises will have a big impact in some areas. Access to clean water will be a huge problem in even "civilised" countries. More severe weather will hit everyone. Food production will be hit hard. We're already past what was considered a safe increase in temperature of 1.5C (3F). Unfortunately the rate the temperature is rising is steadily increasing.

There was a book called "Six degrees: our future on a hotter planet". It detailed what will happen in 0.5C (about 1F) increments. So far it's been quite accurate in it's predictions. It only went up to 6C because the planet becomes close to uninhabitable for humans at that point. Current predictions suggest we'll get to 6C at some point after the end of this century.

 

[RudyBob]

"...challenges existing models of physics and astrophysics" The world is flat. We will never know the truth

 

[Au Contraire]

The Sun will become a red giant and swallow the Earth in about 5 billion years. Unfortunately we're going to disappear long before then. Climate change seems the biggest threat at the moment. Sea level rises will have a big impact in some areas. Access to clean water will be a huge problem in even "civilised" countries. More severe weather will hit everyone. Food production will be hit hard. We're already past what was considered a safe increase in temperature of 1.5C (3F). Unfortunately the rate the temperature is rising is steadily increasing.

There was a book called "Six degrees: our future on a hotter planet". It detailed what will happen in 0.5C (about 1F) increments. So far it's been quite accurate in it's predictions. It only went up to 6C because the planet becomes close to uninhabitable for humans at that point. Current predictions suggest we'll get to 6C at some point after the end of this century.

If you read Six Degrees", you may want to read this "Study Destroys Basis of EPA Climate Regulations" (https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/03/20/study-destroys-basis-of-epa-climate-regulations/).

 

[mbk34]

If you read Six Degrees", you may want to read this "Study Destroys Basis of EPA Climate Regulations" (https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/03/20/study-destroys-basis-of-epa-climate-regulations/).

In America you have lobbyists paying Trump to stop funding scientific organisations that report on climate change (NASA had to stop reporting). It's a bizarre way for science to be done even ignoring his current battle with universities. Nevertheless, in the rest of the world, climate change is a very real thing and is happening in front of our eyes.

I guess it's up to you whether you want to get your science facts from Trump and big oil or whether you'd prefer to trust real scientists. The vast majority of scientists (99%) agree on climate change. I guess you just found the remaining 1%.