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Astronomy Picture of the Day - GW250114: Rotating Black Holes Collide
NASA ^ | 24 Sep, 2025 | Illustration Credit: Aurore Simonnet (SSU/EdEon), LVK, URI; LIGO Collaboration

Posted on 09/24/2025 1:25:50 PM PDT by MtnClimber

Explanation: It was the strongest gravitational wave signal yet measured -- what did it show? GW250114 was detected by both arms of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) in Washington and Louisiana USA earlier this year. Analysis showed that the event was created when two black holes, each of mass around 33 times the mass of the Sun, coalesced into one larger black hole with a mass of around 63 solar masses. Even though the event happened about a billion light years away, the signal was so strong that the spin of all black holes, as well as initial ringing of the final black hole, was deduced with exceptional accuracy. Furthermore, it was confirmed better than before, as previously predicted, that the total event horizon area of the combined black hole was greater than those of the merging black holes. Featured, an artist's illustration depicts an imaginative and conceptual view from near one of the black holes before collision.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa; whenholescollide
To be added or removed from the Astronomy Picture of the Day ping list please send me a request via "Private Reply" (Mail).

For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 09/24/2025 1:25:50 PM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 09/24/2025 1:26:13 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber
Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

Sorry, I missed yesterday somehow so two posts today.

3 posted on 09/24/2025 1:28:09 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber; All

Pay attention to the fine print in the lower-left corner.


4 posted on 09/24/2025 1:42:00 PM PDT by ComputerGuy
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To: ComputerGuy

I know it is an illustration. I hate that, but what image do you put on an important story that was 1 billion light years away?


5 posted on 09/24/2025 1:46:46 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

An incredible amount of energy. Cannot possibly comprehend the force and gravitational pull. Even more mysterious is what’s inside one? Do they explode and creat new galaxies? Maybe continue to combine until it all explodes into the next big bang? One thing for sure is I’ll never know.


6 posted on 09/24/2025 1:53:00 PM PDT by Omnivore-Dan (have to )
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To: MtnClimber

I wasn’t being critical of the image.
The damn thing fooled me for a while!


7 posted on 09/24/2025 1:54:21 PM PDT by ComputerGuy
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To: Omnivore-Dan

I have wondered the same thing.


8 posted on 09/24/2025 1:56:34 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: ComputerGuy

I know. They put the description of the image in the very last sentence. I was confused as well.


9 posted on 09/24/2025 2:02:01 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

“Roto-Rooter that’s the name and away go troubles down the drain! Roto-Rooter! Roto-Rooter!”


10 posted on 09/24/2025 3:48:17 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer” )
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To: Red Badger

I’m sure we could squeeze Uranus into this thread, somehow.


11 posted on 09/24/2025 4:32:31 PM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives)
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