UPSC Prelims 2019
Science & Technology
Recently, scientists observed the merger of giant ‘blackholes’ billions of light-years away from the Earth. What is the significance of this observation?
Explanation
The merger of black holes is expected to generate powerful gravitational waves. Gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime caused by accelerating massive objects. Detecting these waves with instruments like LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) allows us to study these events even when they are too far away or obscured to observe directly. This opens a new window for astronomical observations.