Events in 2024

More than 100 years ago, Albert Einstein calculated that space and time can wobble and vibrate like jelly. These vibrations, known as gravitational waves, are created when stars explode or black holes collide. After researchers first observed these gravitational waves in September 2015, almost a hundred such observations have been made to date. They provide unique insights into the dark universe and its secrets. [more]

Gravitational waves have been providing unique insights into black holes and neutron stars since 2015. Researchers are working intensively on the planning and construction of new detectors – not only on Earth, but also in space. The LISA satellite mission, an initiative of the European Space Agency with contributions from NASA, will be launched in just over 10 years and will measure gravitational waves that cannot be detected from Earth. [more]

Astronomy is a science as old as humanity – the view of the night sky has always fascinated us. We have developed increasingly sophisticated telescopes that allow us to observe the entire electromagnetic spectrum. But there are other sources of information from space! Particles come directly from the interior of stellar explosions, and waves in space-time – gravitational waves – have been detectable for several years. With all these different “messengers”, we are gaining a much more comprehensive picture of our universe – with the help of multi-messenger astronomy. [more]