This 'impossible' black hole merger may be explained by a warp in spacetime
New research suggests that a previously 'impossible' black hole merger detected by LIGO may be explained by gravitational lensing. This phenomenon could have created an illusion, making the black holes appear significantly more massive than they actually are.
Why it matters
This finding helps reconcile observed gravitational wave data with existing models of stellar evolution, potentially solving a major mystery in astrophysics.
Black Holes This 'impossible' black hole merger may be explained by a warp in spacetime News By Robert Lea Published 9 September 2026 "Like light, gravitational waves can also be deflected, magnified, and split into multiple signals by massive objects."
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Click for next article An illustration of merging supermassive black holes set space rippling with gravitational waves. (Image credit: Robert Lea (created by Canva)) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter A "forbidden" merger between two massive black holes may not have been quite as impossible as previously thought. That's according to new research that suggests the black holes involved were smaller than expected.
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