ESOcast 133: ESO Telescopes Observe First Light from Gravitational Wave Source

ESO’s telescopes have observed for the first time the visible counterpart to a gravitational wave source. Marking the start of a new era of multi-messenger astronomy, this rare event was captured in extraordinary detail. The observations unveil a high-energy event, known as a kilonova, that can finally be connected to the merging of two neutron stars, stellar remnants that emit gravitational waves as they spiral towards each other and then collide in a spectacular explosion.

ESOcast 133 describes what was observed by ESO’s telescopes in Chile, how telescopes around the world found the kilonova, and what astronomers have learned about this newly observed astronomical phenomenon.

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Courtesy of European Southern Observatory