Exploring the Universe of Black Holes with Gravitational Waves

What happens when two black holes orbit and merge together?

The recent discovery of gravitational waves from colliding black holes has given us a new window onto cosmology.

These "ripples" in space time were first predicted by Albert Einstein in his general theory of relativity back in 1916. He predicted that when two astral bodies orbit each other, they would cause ripples in space. These would then spread out like ripples in a pond when a stone is tossed in.

Though invisible, gravitational waves travel at the speed of light. But they can still take billions of years to reach us on Earth. In 2015, they were first detected by the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory).

Join Professor Bernard Schutz at the Portsmouth Guildhall on December 17, where he will host an informative discussion about these exciting discoveries.  He'll be joined by a panel of leading experts in this emerging field of gravitational wave astronomy.