Cosmic collision 1.3 billion light-years away confirms Hawking prediction
Scientists have confirmed Stephen Hawking's black hole area law using data from a 1.3 billion light-year distant black hole collision. The observation showed that the surface area of the resulting black hole was greater than the sum of the original two, supporting fundamental physics principles.
Why it matters
This provides empirical evidence for a 50-year-old theoretical prediction, reinforcing our understanding of gravity and thermodynamics in extreme environments.
A prediction made by Stephen Hawking some 50 years ago has just come true and now, scientists are trying to understand how it reinforces fundamental principles of modern physics. A collision between two black holes about 1.3 billion light-years from Earth has provided the most precise observational evidence ever obtained for a prediction presented by the late physicist and cosmologist.A cosmic collision Named GW250114, the gravitational wave signal reached Earth on January 14, 2025 and was captured by the two LIGO detectors, located in the American states of Washington and Louisiana.
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