Catching Some Gravitational Waves

This Week's Speaker: Michael Coughlin is a McKnight Land-Grant Professor and Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on multi-messenger astronomy, working to bridge the gap between gravitational-wave and observational astronomers working in the electromagnetic regime. In this talk, he will explain how gravitational waves let us hear the universe —echoes from cosmic collisions like merging black holes and neutron stars. But what happens when we can see them too? We will explore how astronomers hunt for flashes of light—optical counterparts—that accompany these spacetime ripples. Discover how combining telescopes and gravitational wave detectors is unlocking new secrets about the universe, from the origins of heavy elements to the expansion of space itself.

For information on the full series, please visit the Astounding Astrophysics webpage here.