Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of spacetime caused by the acceleration of massive objects, propagating outward at the speed of light. Predicted by Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity in 1916, these waves are a fundamental consequence of the theory’s description of gravity as the curvature of spacetime. Gravitational waves are generated by dynamic events such as the merger of black holes or neutron stars. They cause minute distortions in space, and their detection provides a new way to observe and study the universe. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and Virgo collaborations made historic direct detections of gravitational waves in 2015, opening a new era in astrophysics.
