Fact Sheet
Catching a (Tiny) Wave
Two detectors, in Washington (top) and Louisiana, are trying to detect gravitational waves from some of the most violent events in the universe. Together, the detectors form the Laser Interferometric Gravity Observatory (LIGO), which is the most extensive effort yet to detect the tiny ripples in space-time. Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity says that any object should produce gravitational waves as it moves through space. The waves are so tiny that, though, that they have not yet been detected. Both detectors are scheduled to begin full-time science operations by the end of the year. [Credit: NSF/LIGO]
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