Scientists have found evidence of a universal background of gravitational waves, or ripples in the fabric of space-time.
The motion of black holes and other massive objects through space can create ripples in the fabric of the universe, called gravitational waves. On June 28 scientists announced the first evidence of a background of long-wavelength gravitational waves that fills the cosmos. These waves are thought to have been created over eons by supermassive black holes, up to billions of times the mass of our Sun, circling each other before they merge. Detecting the gravitational wave background is analogous to hearing the hum of a large group of people talking at a party, without distinguishing any particular voice.
The background ripples detected by NANOGrav could help scientists better understand how gravitational waves are created and what happens to them as they propagate…
