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Home > Free Astronomy Public Lectures > Breakthrough! The detection of gravitational waves from a neutron star merger (Free Astronomy Public Lectures)
Podcast: Free Astronomy Public Lectures
Episode:

Breakthrough! The detection of gravitational waves from a neutron star merger (Free Astronomy Public Lectures)
Category: Education
Duration: 00:54:56
Publish Date: 2018-11-25 21:04:00
Description: Presented by Assoc. Prof. Tara Murphy on 23 November 2018. On August 17th 2017 the LIGO-Virgo interferometer detected gravitational waves from a neutron star merger in a galaxy 130 million light years away. This was a breakthrough for physics and astronomy. What followed was a frenzy of activity as astronomers around the world worked to detect electromagnetic radiation with conventional telescopes. After this unprecedented effort the event was detected in gamma-rays, x-rays, visible light and radio waves. I will discuss this incredible scientific result and its implications, including: predictions made by Einstein; the production of gold and other heavy elements; and our understanding of black hole formation. I will also give a 'behind the scenes' perspective of how it happened, and discuss the changes in the way we do science in this era of big astronomy.
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