Backgrounder: 10 facts about gravitation waves from neutron star merger

Illustration Image shows two merging neutron stars. The narrow beams represent the gamma-ray burst while the rippling spacetime grid indicates the isotropic gravitational waves that characterize the merger. Swirling clouds of material ejected from the merging stars are a possible source of the light that was seen at lower energies. Scientists announced Monday that they have for the first time detected the ripples in space and time known as gravitational waves as well as light from a spectacular collision of two neutron stars. (Xinhua/National Science Foundation/LIGO/Sonoma State University/A. Simonnet.)