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[slate]

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[slate]

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We saw gravitational waves

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and ordinary light from the same astrophysical event

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for the very first time. We saw two neutron stars, extremely dense stars

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rotating rapidly around one another radiating energy by gravitational

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waves. Until finally they merge in a huge explosion. That explosion

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provides jets moving at the speed of light producing a flash of gamma rays

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and then later we saw optical and infarred emission that's telling us

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where in the universe heavy metals such as gold and platinum are produced

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[slate]

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That's exactly what I'm saying. So the gold is

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was produced in this enourmous explosion. The conditions

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around these merging neutron stars have densities

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and temperatures completely unlike anything we can do on Earth. This is where

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gold is produced and then the explosion is driving those metals

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out into the interstellar media. At some point later

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new stars and planets will be formed and the gold on those

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planets will have come from an explosion like this.

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[slate]

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We've seen explosions like this several hundred times per year. But this is the very first time

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that we've seen gravitational waves from the same explosion.

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So for the very first time that we've been able to conclusively say

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two merging neutron stars are what powered this enourmous explosion.

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And you always want to know what's producing the largest explosions that you know of in the universe.

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[slate]

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Gravitational waves are ripples in space time.

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Space-time is extremely stiff, but if you have

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that is extremely dense that has extremely high gravity like a neutron

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star or a black hole. When those objects accelerate they cause

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ripples in space-time to go through the universe to be

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detected on Earth like the one that we did in last August.