History is replete with turning points, moments that are looked back on as being pivotal to the flow of events that led to our civilization today. Scientific history is equally full of turning points — defining discoveries that transformed our understanding of the Universe and how it works. On 17 August 2017 the coincident discovery of a binary neutron star merger using both gravitational waves and light initiated one of the most intensive world-wide observing campaigns in history.
Northwestern University has faculty, students, and postdocs in CIERA (Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics) working on both the gravitational waves and electromagnetic discovery teams. The LIGO media gallery gallery explores some of the exciting moments of this discovery with them, through rich imagery, videos and interactive tools.
