March 30, 2023

Astronomers may have found black holes that formed soon after big bang

Astronomers may have found black holes that formed soon after big bang
Astronomers may have found black holes that formed soon after big bangAstronomers may have found black holes that formed soon after big bang
black holes

When two black holes collide, the event can release gravitational waves

MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

We may have already seen black holes from the dawn of the universe, called primordial black holes. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the US and the Virgo observatory in Italy have detected 47 pairs of black holes slamming into one another, and a statistical study suggests that nearly one-third of them may be primordial.

Black holes can form through several different mechanisms. The main way is by a huge star collapsing in on itself, forming what is called …