Rumors Re Colliding Neutron Star Event

[bornagainathiest]

Hi all!

 

I'm on vacation after watching an awesome eclipse.  Just spotted this item as I was surfing the science blogs and similar.

 

http://www.nature.com/news/rumours-swell-over-new-kind-of-gravitational-wave-sighting-1.22482

 

The excitement over this is about the possibility of tying a gravitational wave observation (which optical cannot see) to an event which optical telescopes can see.

In simple terms, the gravitational waves of merging black holes observed so far can be though of as the 'sound' of the event.  But if these rumors pan out then we will have seen (optically) and heard (gravitationally) the same event.  Which will be a first for astronomy.  

 

Thanks,

 

BAA.

[Thurisaz]

Cool stuff!