Happy birthday to #GW170817 our first binary neutron star detection, and the first #GravitationalWave with electromagnetic counterparts!
The gamma-ray burst following the merger was spotted by the Fermi and Integral telescopes and later many other telescopes
https://www.ligo.org/science/Publication-GW170817BNS/index.php
Combining data from LIGO Livingston, LIGO Hanford and Virgo, we localized #GW170817's source on the sky. Having 3 detectors is crucial for this
Using this localization, teams of astronomers from around the world were able to successfully hunt for GW170817's kilonova
#GW170817's source was identified as in galaxy NGC 4993. It was observed using telescopes for all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, making it one of the most studied astronomical events ever! It's afterglow was still visible years after the merger
https://www.ligo.org/science/Publication-GW170817MMA/index.php
#GW170817 is the #GravitationalWave with the closest source. It is one of our loudest detections
Binary neutron stars are lower mass than black hole binaries, so their chirps are much longer
Start your week with all the key facts about #GW170817 with this infographic by @UofGravity's @daniel_williams
Take a deep dive into all the science of #GW170817, our first #GravitationalWave with a multimessenger, with the blog of of our Collaboration member @cplberry
LIGO