Subj : Daily APOD Report
To   : All
From : Alan Ianson
Date : Fri May 10 2024 02:09:36

                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                 2024 May 10

                      Simulation: Two Black Holes Merge
          Simulation Credit: Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes Project

   Explanation: Relax and watch two black holes merge. Inspired by the
   first direct detection of gravitational waves in 2015, this simulation
   plays in slow motion but would take about one third of a second if run
   in real time. Set on a cosmic stage, the black holes are posed in front
   of stars, gas, and dust. Their extreme gravity lenses the light from
   behind them into Einstein rings as they spiral closer and finally merge
   into one. The otherwise invisible gravitational waves generated as the
   massive objects rapidly coalesce cause the visible image to ripple and
   slosh both inside and outside the Einstein rings even after the black
   holes have merged. Dubbed GW150914, the gravitational waves detected by
   LIGO are consistent with the merger of 36 and 31 solar mass black holes
   at a distance of 1.3 billion light-years. The final, single black hole
   has 63 times the mass of the Sun, with the remaining 3 solar masses
   converted into energy radiated in gravitational waves.

            Today's Event Horizon: It's Black Hole Week at NASA!
                      Tomorrow's picture: What's 42-5?
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
                   NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility Notices
                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

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